One Day One Idea : Aesop’s technique to get customers in the store

On our latest trip to Paris, after we interviewed Merci’s managing director Jean-Luc Colonna d’Istria, we went for a tour in Paris’ trendy area “Le Marais”. One of the stores that caught our attention was Aesop in Rue Vieille du Temple.

Aesop is an Australian upper tier brand of cosmetics that you won’t find everywhere (it’s actually one of the two brands to have a corner shop at Merci). As you can on the pictures they have an interesting way to display products and are also using a trick to get customers IN the store. On the outside wall you’ll see that they have installed three dispensers of body lotion or cream for the hands that people can simply try. They have chosen (probably on purpose) products with superb flavors. One someone tries the products and is ahead of you on the walkway, you’re right in line to be hit by the olfactory molecules and try on your turn. Once you’ve tried, guess what, you walk back and visit the store.

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By Pierre-Nicolas Schwab Dr. Pierre-Nicolas Schwab is the founder of IntoTheMinds. He specializes in e-commerce, retail and logistics. He is also a research fellow in the marketing department of the Free University of Brussels and acts as a coach for several startups and public organizations. He holds a PhD in Marketing, a MBA in Finance, and a MSc in Chemistry. He can be contacted by email, Linkedin or by phone (+32 486 42 79 42)