[In the picture] Inno inaugurates ‘biggest perfumery in Belgium’

In two Brussels branches, Inno has thoroughly revamped its perfumery department, with a focus on glamour and luxury. The complete makeover is part of the department store chain’s strategic repositioning.

More than a hundred brands

The Inno department stores on rue Neuve and Avenue Louise reopened their drastically revamped perfumery departments on Thursday, with exclusive corners of high-end beauty brands. The department store chain aims to add an extra layer of glamour and sophistication.

In fact, the new perfume department at Inno Nieuwstraat is the largest in the country at 1,500m². Shoppers will find more than 100 beauty brands there, with shop-in-shops of Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Tom Ford, Granado and Guerlain, among others – the latter even has the largest shop-in-shop in Benelux here. The Yves Saint Laurent shop is the only place in Belgium where you can have products personalised with a print. At the beauty bar on the first floor, customers can get manicures, pedicures and hair removal treatments.

At Inno Avenue Louise, the perfume department covers 720 m², with more than ninety brands. Here, gentlemen can visit the barbershop.

Premium strategy

“With this opening, we are consistently pursuing the strategic reorientation of Inno,’”says CEO Armin Devender, who is giving the department store chain a more premium image. Besides perfumery, handbags, watches and jewellery are also strategic departments driving the new positioning. “In the clothing sector, premium fashion is the order of the day and mainstream is always present where the customer expects it.”

That new policy seems to be paying off: in recent years, the department store chain became a healthy, thriving business again, Devender stresses. Last financial year, Inno realised a net profit of 1.3 million euros, down from 2.6 million euros a year earlier.