Superdrug is to launch 30 Beauty Playgrounds across the country, which will enable customers to explore brands, access beauty services, receive expert advice and create content while they shop.

The health and beauty retailer said the move is part of its offline plus online strategy, which aims to offer an integrated experience wherever and whenever customers chose to shop.

The first Beauty Playground will launch in the flagship London Westfield Stratford sore and Superdrug said it will roll them out to other locations including Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow by 2025.

The Beauty Playgrounds will include a range of features including “Try Me Tables” where customers can play, test and experiment with the latest products as well as interactive fixtures displaying new and exclusive brands for customer discovery and trial.

Social stations complete with ring lights will enable customers to create beauty content for social media while brand ambassadors will be on hand to offer personalised guidance and demonstrations.

To launch Beauty Playground, Superdrug is partnering with a range of innovative new brands, including fragrance and body care brand Daise, natural skin and hair solution Delihicious and the Korean inspired Smuuti.

At a time when immersive pop-ups, concept stores and hybrid retail spaces are popular in the beauty industry, Superdrug said it aims to meet ongoing customer desire with a retail experience that is permanently available and accessible to all areas of the country.

“The beauty shopper is crying out for immersive beauty experiences, but often they find that what they encounter is either temporary or not keeping pace with the latest innovations the industry has to offer,” said Simon Comins, Superdrug’s chief commercial officer. “With Beauty Playground, we’re reimagining what a joyful and innovative beauty experience could and should be, whilst offering a space where customers can discover, learn, experiment, create, and connect with brands and services that meet their unique needs.”

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