The prestige makeup brand run by Shiseido India NARS has opened, at Gurugram's Ambience Mall, its third store in India, a standalone boutique. Since its India entry in October 2023, in just under three years it has reached this third store, and in roughly 320 square feet of compact space, it combines personalized service with an Instagram-worthy experience design.
The new store was designed by NARS founder and creative director François Nars together with Fabien Baron of Baron & Baron. In addition to consultations with a dedicated professional makeup artist, it includes photo spots such as a custom-made infinity mirror. Rather than mass store openings, this is a steady expansion pace of one store at a time in North India's major luxury malls.
Ambience Mall is one of North India's premier luxury retail destinations. Sanjay Sharma, Country Head of Shiseido India, positions this third store in under three years as "a reflection of the cultural presence we have built in India." It is a strategy of focusing on the affluent Delhi NCR shopping catchment and going deep with small, service-oriented stores that deliver a brand experience.
India's prestige beauty market keeps expanding, but NARS is not rushing its store openings, instead placing small, experience-driven boutiques one at a time in luxury malls where affluent shoppers gather. This steady formation, leveraging the local subsidiary of its parent company Shiseido, offers an example of store-opening pace and location selection for Japanese cosmetics brands targeting the high price tier in India.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Brand | NARS (Shiseido India) |
| New store | Ambience Mall, Gurugram (third India store) |
| India market entry | October 2023 |
| Floor area | roughly 320 square feet |
| Features | Professional artist consultations + experience elements such as an infinity mirror |
Related reading:
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Source: Indian Retailer／Retail4Growth
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