Kiehl’s has opened a new ‘experiential’ European flagship on London’s famed Carnaby Street.
The L’Oréal-owned beauty brand has taken a 1,300 sq ft, two-storey unit at 43 Carnaby Street, marking its second standalone store in London’s West End.
The flagship has been designed to encourage shoppers to spend more time in store, with a string of interactive features including skin analysis technology, a photo booth and custom screen printing.
It also houses an interactive Brew Bar, which matches skincare ingredients with customers’ moods and skin concerns, alongside Derma Readers that provide personalised skin analysis.
The entire upper floor has been turned into a content studio for creators, filming and community events, which Kiehl’s said is a first for the brand in Europe.
Kiehl’s UK general manager Niki Lo said the retailer wanted to create a space that shoppers would “want to spend time in”, with the content studio intended to bridge the gap between the brand’s digital audience and its physical stores.
Kiehl’s is currently approaching its 175th anniversary, which it is marking with continued investment in standalone stores as a way of boosting customer acquisition, loyalty and brand engagement.
Kiehl’s global brand president Melanie Vidal described the flagship as a “meaningful investment in the future of physical retail”, adding that the site would bring its apothecary heritage to life through experiences that customers cannot replicate online.
It currently operates 18 boutiques across the UK, with Britain ranking among its three largest markets globally.
Its Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado is also the UK’s best-selling prestige eye cream, according to parent company L’Oréal.
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