Amazon has unveiled a new parapharmacy retail concept in Milan, marking the company’s first physical store in Italy. The new Amazon Parafarmacia & Beauty store is located in Milan’s city center and features a range of beauty and personal care products.
Unlike in the U.S., most European countries distinguish between pharmacy and parapharmacy locations, with the former offering prescription drugs and the latter offering only over-the-counter products. Amazon’s new store will feature an area staffed by pharmacists to give customers information and guidance on non-prescription medications and other products sold in the store.
The new store is part of Amazon’s online expansion of its online beauty and personal care product offerings across Europe, specifically Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK.
“We’ve designed this store to bring us one step closer to our customers and to deliver an innovative experience, merging cutting-edge technology with expert advice,” said Giorgio Busnelli, VP of Consumer Goods for Europe at Amazon in a statement. “Thanks to this opening, we will be able to expand our online beauty and personal care product offerings across Amazon’s stores in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK throughout the year. This broadened selection reflects our dedication to meet the diverse needs of our customers, both at our physical store in Milan and online in Europe.”
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Classic Beauty Store Meets Amazon Tech
Officially opening to the public on Feb. 12, the Amazon Parafarmacia & Beauty store features a selection of products from brands including Eucerin, La Roche-Posay, Vichy, Avène, Bionike, Rilastil, CeraVe and more.
The store is divided into two areas. The main gallery showcases a selection of products alongside “Place & Learn Stations” — interactive digital displays where customers can learn more about specific items. The screens will play educational videos when an item is placed on a designated tray, including details on ingredients, usage or other product-related information.
Further into the store, customers can receive complimentary digital skin analysis and product recommendations from beauty experts in the “Derma-bar” experiential area After having their skin analyzed at one of three digital stations, customers will receive a comprehensive report on their skin type and condition. The digital analysis stations were developed by Inovshop featuring software from Perfect Corp. Beauty experts then provide product recommendations based on the results. The Derma-bar also features try-on stations for product sampling.
Will Italy’s High Street be Kinder than America’s?
Amazon’s latest attempt at physical retail in Italy follows a brick-and-mortar pullback in the U.S. that has included the closure of almost all of Amazon’s retail concepts, except in the grocery sector. The company shuttered its fashion-focused Style stores in 2023 after closing all of its 4-Star, Books and Pop Up stores in 2022.
Amazon has chosen to focus its U.S. brick-and-mortar efforts on grocery and convenience. A few Amazon Go c-stores remain in operation, but Amazon’s large-format grocery stores, Fresh and Whole Foods, are currently receiving the most investment from the company.
