New Shopping Experience at M&S Your Beauty Hall

On Thursday evening I went along to the new Beauty Hall at Marks and Spencer at Westfields Stratford. Marks and Spencer is changing the face of beauty by launching a brand new dedicated beauty department 'Your Beauty' to be rolled out across it's stores nationwide and online at Marks and Spencer offering a new store fit and customer service offering. M&S has re-packaged and improved all of it's existing own brand beauty products which have a more luxurious and modern feel and the new beauty department will also feature an exclusive handpicked selection of some of the leading niche beauty brands from Europe and USA that uses the very best of both Nature & Science.


Service and customer advice is a key part of the new beauty departments with the aim of making beauty buying simple, fuss-free and enjoyable with no hard sell as none of the beauty advisers are on commission. I have to say that is my pet peeve when shopping is being pestered by pushy sales assistants who give the hard sell - it actually puts me off buying! Experienced and expertly trained beauty advisers who will undergo a rigorous training programme will be on hand to offer specialist and impartial advice to customers.


M&S Beauty aims to reinvent the beauty shopping experience both in store and online with ground breaking new technology that allows customers to access expert advice at all times of the day in store and online. Innovative new interactive tools exclusive to M&S include the ‘Virtual Makeover’ counter which allows customers to experience different make up looks and skin consultations ‘virtually’, either from a photo or a model.

My aunty worked at M&S for 30 years so I am very familiar with all the own brand M&S beauty products and I love this new concept. The department has clean and modern stands, it is well lit, relaxing space nicely laid out and although there is a lot of choice of products, its not too overwhelming and the products are displayed at eye level and helpful fuss-free information on each shelf. You are encouraged to try out products and can spend as long as you like sniffing the fragrances before buying without an intimidating sales assistant making you feel uncomfortable - the M&S beauty advisers stay discreetly in the background on hand if you need any help.  


M&S will also launch a new own-brand range called Pure, a skincare and body care brand with a natural and eco friendly proposition. Recognising that more and more customers are looking for products which perform and offer luxurious formulations, but which are also natural, kind to the environment and eco-friendly, the Pure range has been developed to offer a kinder alternative to more pharmaceutical skincare products on the market without compromising on quality and results.


A few of my favourite external brands will be stocked: from celebrity favourite Philip Kingsley Haircare (exclusive size bottles only at M&S) to Apivita which is Greece's leading natural range of hair, skin and body products which out-sell L'Oreal in Greece! Dr Murad which is best-selling transforming skincare range from the US and Nuxe – One of France’s leading natural skincare brands - ‘Beauty by Nature’. Skyn Iceland is a brand I wasn't familiar with - Derived from Icelandic waters, the perfect skin solution for stressed skin - apparently their eye masks are amazing and the hero product from the range. Leighton Denny – World renowned nail expert Leighton Denny launches his exclusive nail line at M&S, with fresh, innovative and fabulous products. 


This is not just any Beauty Department.....this is an M&S Beauty Counter! What do you think to this new concept from Marks and Spencer?