Beauty retail: counter culture

‘More premium services are being offered at the counter in the beauty retail sector as retailers explore new ways of enticing customers into stores and away from the internet,’ says Daniel Latev, global head of retailing research at Euromonitor. ‘Spa and salon-style treatments are being introduced alongside technology applications that enable brands to tailor and personalise products for customer needs. Beauty spending has been relatively resilient in the economic downturn and department stores are doing particularly well, with 5% growth for the sector so far this year.’