One of the Purley Way’s biggest stores, Sainsbury’s, is being used by the company to test a new product range in the latest battle between retail giants.
Sainsbury’s is taking on Boots and Superdrug with a makeover of its beauty range
The store has been given a makeover of its own in the past month, and now part of it looks more like a department store than an out-of-town supermarket, as it has been given specialist beauty product aisles and a unique perfume concessions.
Sainsbury’s is taking on Boots and Superdrug by laying the foundations for a major makeover of its beauty range, designed to bring its customers the best beauty offering of the high street in a convenient supermarket setting.
The move will also come as a challenge to the struggling department store chains – including House of Fraser and John Lewis – who may struggle to compete on price against Sainsbury’s bulk-buying firepower.
The range refresh, including product launches, exclusive brands and partnerships, comes as the health and beauty market in Britain is set to reach £27billion by 2020, with annual spend set to reach £487 per shopper.
Sainsbury’s on Purley Way is one of 11 of the company’s supermarkets which will have a completely revamped range and larger, department store-style layout.
More than 1,500 new products will be introduced as a result of range expansions and the arrival of exclusive brands customers might not expect to find in a supermarket – including Mane & Tail, Burt’s Bees, Essie, Korres, Egyptian Magic and Dr PawPaw.
But the Croydon store will come in for extra close attention, as Sainsbury’s Purley Way will be the first supermarket in the country to have a concession of The Fragrance Shop, stocked with perfume brands from Chanel to Calvin Klein, and so, according to the company, “offer customers everything from the beauty basics to leading scents all under one roof”.
Sainsbury’s supermarket has the look of a department store with its beauty product aisles
Purley Way will be one of only two Sainsbury’s with the Fragrance Shop offering, and one of eight stores to be staffed by specially trained and dedicated beauty advisers, in a distinctive store uniform, offering expert help to customers on the best beauty products for them.
“We’re really excited to be the first Sainsbury’s store to offer customers The Fragrance Shop perfumes and an amazing line-up of new and exclusive beauty brands,” said Steve Haward, the Purley Way store manager.
“The area looks amazing and with our dedicated beauty colleagues on hand to provide expert advice, we’re confident customers will love it.”
Sainsbury’s says that if the Purley Way makeover proves successful, it expects to roll out the beauty and perfume offer to more supermarkets around the country next year.
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Will they be making over the staff’s customer service skills as well? The last three times I visited were horrific :/
As a regular shopper at Sainsbury’s I think they have got it wrong again for your average Croydon Purley Way customer – just like they did by introducing the expensive Sushi Bar which is now reduced in size and not proving to be a success with the local Croydon population.
When doing our weekly shop most of us don’t have time or the inclination to browse over beauty products, we just want our soap,shampoo and tooth paste which are now squshed in an adjacent aisle, as has all the popular baby care products and items wanted on the weekly grocery shop.
Did Sainsbury’s actually study the profile of their average Croydon customer or even consult any customers regularly using this Croydon store before this makeover ?
Like the Sushi Bar i don’t hold out much hope for this new venture at the Croydon Purley Way store.
Sorry Croydon in 2018 is not like the Croydon of 30 or 40 years ago, I’m very sad to say.
They seem to have been successful in attracting Travellers to their car park too …
I just want to go shopping.
You know…dog food, loo rolls, fruit & veg, that sort of thing. I want there to be a space in the car park & a working cash machine.
Perfume? Not interested.