REN chooses Nocibé

French perfumery chain Nocibé has become principal distributor for British brand REN Clean Skincare in France.

“We chose Nocibé for a number of reasons,” the firm’s founder Mohammed Rzal told Cosmetic News Weekly. “We will be positioned next to Clarins and Lancôme, although we are less well known, and Nocibé has the presence in medium-sized towns that we wanted.”

In Paris, the firm will continue to sell via high end stores such as Colette and Bon Marché, according to Rzal. The firm also looked at other chains, such as Marionnaud, but preferred Nocibé’s slightly younger demographic. “Nocibé focuses on affordable beauty,” said Rzal, “and it lets people try products – there’s not so much pressure on the consumer.”

The brand will be present in 371 Nocibé stores immediately, with another 100 towards the end of the year. Rzal also considered the pharmacy route – the brand sells through pharmacies in Portugal and in some Scandinavian countries – but found the franchise system of French pharmacies too problematical. "The DNA of REN is a good match for pharmacies,” said Rzal, “but the ability of pharmacies to spend time on cosmetics is hard. Products need to sell by themselves, for which you need a strong media budget.” REN will therefore benefit from Nocibé’s trained sales staff, he believes.