Retailers paying attention to detail

US beauty retailers are adding services and technology in a bid to boost revenues, says Virginia Lee Beauty retailing in the US is moving towards increased personal service and greater use of technology. Retailers are also expanding their nail care sections to take advantage of growing interest in nail colour. In this competitive and mature market, retailers of all types are seeking to appeal to American women by offering more than just a wide product selection. Many consumers want assistance with selecting foundations and navigating the facial skin care aisle. Personal service in the beauty arena had previously been limited to department stores such as Macy’s and Nordstrom, along with beauty specialists such as Sephora. Beauty counters such as Clinique have long offered makeovers and skin care diagnosis, while Sephora has offered walk-in beauty services such as Smoky Eye and Flawless Foundation tutorials. The French owned beauty specialist recently introduced a Personal Beauty Advisor programme in select locations where consumers can spend 90 minutes with an advisor to get personalised advice on skin care, colour cosmetics and hair care with the purchase of a US$125 Sephora gift card. Now, drugstores and mass merchandisers are offering trained beauty advisors to help women choose the right products.