MAC Cosmetics China taps into New Retail experience with new integrated centre

M•A•C Cosmetics China has launched its new Experience Centre which integrates both online and offline brand experiences into the customer journey, blending product discovery, social engagement and purchase in one occasion. It aims to introduce interactive cosmetics retail experiences in China. Created by Wunderman Shanghai, the M•A•C Cosmetics Experience Centre is a result of six months of research to understand Gen Z makeup purchase behaviour. This was done through cognitive walkthroughs, exit interviews and customer focus groups. The data collected became the foundation of the store’s interactive design, touch screens and mobile interfaces, creating engagements between digital devices and physical products.   Upon entering the centre, digital totems greet customers and invite them to scan a WeChat check-in, instantly displaying a personalised greeting. M•A•C ’s WeChat mini-programme becomes the passport for the entire store experience.   The M•A•C Cosmetics Experience Centre creates customised experiences for three cosmetics product categories - lipstick, foundation and eye-shadow. In the lipstick section, customers can try the lipstick shades via a virtual makeup mirror which enables them to sample 18 colours in 30 seconds. In the foundation section, customers can use an infrared touch screen interface to create a perfect shade match to their complexion. While in the eye shadow section, customers can choose from six influencer-created palettes and then tailor them to their own preferences. Customers can scan the touchscreen with the M•A•C WeChat mini-programme to pay and pick up their custom 3D printed eye shadow palettes. In addition, the entire customer experience has been socialised, integrating social reviews, trends and influencers into the retail experience at each product station. The second floor of the centre contains an open platform space for master classes and KOL events. James Bay, managing partner at Wunderman China, said, “We created the M•A•C Cosmetics Experience Centre as a springboard for new digital experiences. This ‘New Retail’ experience provides us with better ways to interact with target consumer no matter where they are.” “The M•A•C Cosmetics Experience Centre has reinvented the physical retail experience, crossing the divide between the physical and virtual worlds,” said Mark Jiang, brand general manager, M•A•C Cosmetics. “Despite our strong eCommerce presence, the true M•A•C experience is founded in a traditional retail environment.”