Lane Crawford Goes Big With Beauty

2013-10

Weighing in at an impressive 20,000-square-feet, the ground floor beauty department of Lane Crawford’s new Shanghai flagship offers not only plentiful helpings of size, but also a whole lot of service.

alking into Lane Crawford from Huai Hai Lu, it seems as though everything from the onyx floor, especially transported from the UK, to “the hub” in the middle of the department, decorated with high-backed armchairs and artworks by local Chinese contemporary artists, are designed to tap into the aspirational desires of customers in China.
 
The ground floor beauty department not only features 48 of the world’s most recognisable beauty brands, including La Mer, Dior, La Prairie, Estee Lauder and more, but has given over 7,000-square feet exclusively to service.
 
It’s a novel approach for the Shanghai market, which is rich in malls filled to bursting with beauty brand concessions, but has a reputation for service that leaves much to be desired.
 
“For the customer here, service is particularly important and the experience is particularly important,” Lane Crawford executive director, Andrea O’Donnell explained.
 
The service areas take a top to toe approach to beauty, with make-up consultations, skincare and scalp analysis all supplied by a staff of dedicated Lane Crawford consultants, free of charge.
 
There is also a hair salon and nail bar on site, operated by Il Colpo, a well-respected Hong Kong chain with more than 25 years experience in that market – along with a number of celebrity and socialite followers.
 
A basic cut and finish is priced from RMB 380, way up to RMB 2,300 if the salon’s chief director does the cutting.
The nail bar, which is in a semi-open space outside of the salon, offers OPI manicures for RMB 286 – definitely at the higher end of the price spectrum in Shanghai – though Lane Crawford’s positioning at Times Square, surrounded by high-rise office buildings, may make it a popular lunchtime manicure option for the white collar workers nearby.
 
The best thing about Lane Crawford’s arrival for Shanghai beauty lovers on a budget is the number of free services, from skincare consultations, makeovers and a very special arm massage being offered at the La Mer counter (to customers who book in advance).
 
These services all involve independent advice from consultants who suggest, rather than pressure, customers into buying a certain product. These kinds of consultations have traditionally been available only to VIP customers, but Lane Crawford is now throwing the offerings open to anyone.
 
Five minutes at the skincare analysis counter involved a close encounter with a smart scope, a hand held diagnostic tool, originally from Korea, which measures oiliness, fine lines, pigmentation and the appearance of pores.
 
A diagnosis of sensitive skin in need of extra hydration came as no surprise, but the extreme close-up images of decidedly unattractive skin on the accompanying iPad slideshow is certainly not for the faint of heart, or stomach.
 
Another focus for Lane Crawford in putting together the beauty department for their Shanghai flagship was to offer brands that were, until now, either not available, or seldom available in the domestic Chinese market.
One example is Cologne Atelier, which is exclusively distributed in Mainland China by Lane Crawford, and Fresh, with its Ancienne anti-aging moisturizing cream famously made by monks in a Czech Republic monastery.
 
“I think education-slash-information for me is the cornerstone of service. Particularly, for Lane Crawford, when we are introducing brands such as L- Atelier and people might not immediately understand what’s so special about them, it’s important we play a role in bringing these brands in and telling their story,” O’Donnell said.