New Sephora concept stores have opened in Spain and France, hinting at the LVMH-owned cosmetics retailer’s future design direction.

Unashamedly targeting millennials, the brand is trying to increase dwell time in-store and encourage younger shoppers to buy into perfume.

First introduced in France, the hyper-connected stores bring customers what Sephora describes as “a unique beauty experience in an unprecedented service-driven environment, perfectly expressing the beauty retailer’s play, share and shop philosophy”.

“Following the tremendous success of two pilot stores opened in March in Nantes and Val d’Europe in France, Sephora has brought its new store concept to Spain. This new concept revolves around a fascinating variety of services, letting Sephora offer a groundbreaking beauty experience, transforming beauty shopping in Spain, where the brand has been present since 1998,” the company said in a statement.

The new design engages customers right from the entrance, with a giant slide for shoppers who are happy to eschew escalators or the piano stairway.

“As at the two French pilot stores, these newest concept stores include a trend zone with a selection of hot new products, a beauty hub for personalised advice and beauty classes to learn about specific makeup topics. With four distinct experience spaces – compared with one or two at classic stores – the new concept stores give customers access to an expanded range of brands, from the latest on-trend products from South Korea to para-pharmaceutical products, and engage with a broader audience, especially millennials.”

New services include the Dry Bar by Rizos for a 15-minute hairstyle touch-up and the Drops fragrance experience, designed to introduce younger customers to perfume by letting them personalise the bottle of their chosen fragrance in a fun, interactive way.

“With these two new concept stores Sephora introduces a groundbreaking shopping experience in Spain, as the brand continues to expand the concept throughout Europe, adapting it to each country for an even more exclusive experience,” the company said.

The cosmetics retailer said its 11th Australian store, located at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney’s east, completed “the loop on our omnichannel offering,” with the store one of the first retail locations to include Sephora’s new in-store ‘Wellness’ hub.

This story first appeared on sister site, Inside Retail Asia.