Watsons, the premier health and beauty brand of the AS Watson Group, has announced a substantial investment of US$250 million to open and refurbish 6,000 stores across Asia in the next two years.
This expansive investment plan will upgrade over 2,200 O+O (offline plus online) stores across 15 markets in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, aiming to have over 3,800 newly opened and modernized O+O stores by the end of 2024.
Malina Ngai, the group CEO of AS Watson, stated, “As the leading health and beauty retailer in Asia, we’re committed to offering our customers the highest quality range of products at great value, as well as providing them with a very pleasant shopping experience. We constantly hear from our customers about where we can improve, and we work closely with key brands to improve category-specific experiences.”
Ngai further detailed the company’s commitment: “Watsons has been at the forefront of revolutionising the in-store environment for customers, and over these two years, we are investing USD 250 million in new store openings and upgrading existing stores across our 15 operating markets. We are opening over 1,200 new stores in 2023–24 and investing in refitting approximately 4,800 stores in the same period. This means 75% of the store portfolio in Asia will provide a more innovative and upgraded experience for our customers.”
The redesigned Watsons stores cater to the modern beauty enthusiast, offering an engaging shopping experience.
Watsons China recently introduced ‘Watsons Pink’, a store concept with a vibrant pink theme, and spa services for a relaxing shopping environment. They also launched a ‘Beauty Playground’ in their new concept stores, providing a stylish, interactive makeup area staffed by professional makeup artists.
In Taiwan, Watsons has transformed its stores into social media-friendly spaces, featuring aesthetic elements like a lipstick-shaped makeup table and a circular pink light box. They have also introduced ‘My Colour Studio’ for personalized color analysis.
Watsons Malaysia has focused on making shopping fun and engaging. They’ve introduced zones like ‘My Beauty’, ‘Hair Studio’, and ‘Watsons To Go’, and areas dedicated to K-beauty products called ‘K-pop Land’, and ‘Kid’s Wonderland’ for family-oriented shopping.
Furthering its commitment to health and wellness, Watsons has revamped its health-focused shopping experiences. In Hong Kong, the flagship store includes the ‘HealthQ’ health decoding station for tailored health consultations. In Thailand, the stores now feature modern designs with private consultation rooms for personalized advice from pharmacists.
Ngai concluded, “Watsons understands that simply providing the best products is no longer sufficient to meet the needs of our customers. We’re committed to continuous expansion and innovation, offering the best O+O customer experience. Watsons will always strive to inspire our 100 million loyal members to ‘Look Good, Do Good, and Feel Great’ with us.”
