Skin sanctuary: SK-II’s new retail concept marks ‘beginning of a new era’ in elevating consumer experience

In June, SK-II celebrated the launch of a first-of-its-kind concept store, which presented a reimagined retail experience for shoppers, emphasising the brand’s storied heritage.

“With the new retail concept, we wanted to bring to our consumer a unique experience to immerse in our brand’s rich heritage like they’ve never experienced before– from our origin story to our decades of science, craftsmanship and innovations,” said Sue Kyung Lee, president, Procter & Gamble Global Skin and Personal Care.

“We are relentlessly looking to find new meaningful ways to connect with and inspire our consumers through the stories of our brand and the millions of women who have experienced the transformative power of PITERA.”

Lee described the concept store as a haven for skin care consumers.

“This store is designed to be a skin sanctuary where visitors can switch off from the world and step into the miracle world of PITERA as they uncover the stories behind the house of SK-II. Each element in the store is carefully crafted from naturally inspired materials and artfully designed to tell the intricate stories of SK-II’s Japanese heritage and the miracles of PITERA that continue to unfold today.”

The new concept was launched for the first time globally in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the Mid Valley Megamall.

“Kuala Lumpur is a vibrant, diverse city and provides a great opportunity for us to introduce our new retail experience to our consumers across South East Asia, offering them a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of SK-II.”

Lee added that the brand looks forward to bringing this retail concept to more SK-II consumers across the world.

Experience-first focus

The new store also debuted a new experience, SK-II Skin Ceremony, inspired by the spirit of omotenashi​, or ‘wholehearted hospitality’.

“More than a retail store, every detail in the concept store has gone through meticulous deliberation to bring to life the different facets of the world of PITERA… This is just the beginning of a new era to elevate the SK-II shopping experience. We are always exploring opportunities to bring unique experiences to our consumers, and we’ll turn to feedback from our valued SK-II community to guide our future initiatives in the region as well,” said Lee.

The new concept store will work in tandem with the brand’s other physical touchpoints, such as its department store counters.

“Our SK-II counters remain a significant touchpoint and will continue to offer our entire line of PITERA™ innovations, our most advanced contactless skin counselling technology, our skin expertise and omotenashi​-inspired service from our SK-II Skin Experts,” said Lee.

SK-II unveiled the new store partnership with omnichannel luxury distributor LUXASIA, which represents the brand across six markets in Asia Pacific – Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, and Vietnam.

“We are very proud to partner SK-II in their expansion and elevation in Asia Pacific. Beyond growing our market footprint together, we are excited to continually push all frontiers and deliver top-notch retail experiences to delight consumers across the region.

“We have no doubt that this first-ever concept store in Malaysia is just the beginning of many more groundbreaking ventures together with SK-II. We are fully committed to drive brand success together, all the way,” said Dr Wolfgang Baier, Group CEO, LUXASIA.