Bath & Body Works debuts Feel Good store for personalized fragrance discovery

Bath & Body Works has opened its first Feel Good concept store in Charlotte, North Carolina, US, for fragrance discovery that caters to the evolution of how consumers find products. 

The Feel Good format caters to shoppers’ demands for easier product discovery and clearer communication of benefits. Its open floor plan, straightforward product information, fragrance testing stations, and staff guidance give consumers tailored suggestions.

The store concept is part of Bath & Body Works’ Consumer First Formula, which focalizes consumer insights in the brand’s decision making. In a brick-and-mortar environment, this looks like using consumers’ input to simplify navigation, make product information more accessible, and help consumers make personalized product choices. 

The personal care and home fragrance retailer says that feedback from consumers helped shape the concept by revealing their demands for easier navigation, clearer information about ingredients and formulations, and a more efficient testing experience. 

The company aims to meet these demands through a simplified floor plan, focused product displays, and dedicated testing spaces.

“The Feel Good concept brings [consumers’] insights to life in new and innovative ways, while giving us an opportunity to test, learn, and gather real-time feedback on fragrance discovery, trial, and connection in our stores,” says Maly Bernstein, chief commercial officer at Bath & Body Works. 

Following the North Carolina location’s inauguration, two more stores are set to launch in the coming months in Columbus, Ohio, and Miami, Florida.

“As the first of three concept stores, Charlotte will help us better understand how consumers engage with our brand, informing how we continue to evolve the store experience while staying true to the warmth, joy, and discovery consumers expect from Bath & Body Works,” says Bernstein.

Bath & Body Works is testing a new approach to in-store fragrance discovery.

Designing space for scent discovery 

The space encourages hands-on exploration of fragrances and formulas through flexible feature walls, immersive testing stations, and dedicated discovery zones.

The store is also touted to adapt to changing consumer interests and trends through feature frames. The frames highlight product launches, certain fragrances, ingredients, and efficacy. They also create touch points for seasonal product discovery throughout the year. 

A curated product portfolio spotlights the brand’s fragrances and formulas, including Champagne Toast, Warm Vanilla Sugar, Japanese Cherry Blossom, In the Stars, and Bath & Body Works’ Fruit Fusion and Essentials franchises.

Experiential spaces in the store encourage engagement with products. These include an eau de parfum bar for fragrance discovery, a lip-and-blend station, and dedicated sink zones that are said to bring product testing and demonstrations to life. 

“Interactive testing stations, including demo sinks, and a new digital Fragrance Finder help consumers explore products with confidence,” says the retailer.

The Feel Good concept combines product testing with personalized fragrance guidance.

Encouraging discovery 

Bath & Body Works’ Fragrance Finder matches shoppers with fragrance families and scent recommendations through a guided quiz. Based on their preferences, the tool simplifies fragrance discovery through in-shop personalization.

The concept also introduces shoppable drawers to create a cleaner, more intuitive shopping experience, allowing consumers to browse products at their own pace while keeping the space feeling organized and inviting.

To make the information around the products’ ingredients, benefits, and efficacy more accessible and help consumers make more informed choices, the space also features enhanced signage and product storytelling.

Products are organized by fragrance family, including Warm & Woodsy and Fruity & Bright. This is said to create an intuitive shopping experience.

“Natural materials, a welcoming layout, and thoughtful product storytelling come together to create a space that encourages discovery and helps consumers connect with the products they love in a fresh, engaging way,” says Samantha Day, associate VP of store design at Bath & Body Works.

Interactive testing stations encourage shoppers to explore fragrances and formulas.

In-person personalization in the age of AI

Bath & Body Works’s personalization-focused brick-and-mortar upgrades come as online shopping has been increasingly dominating the beauty retail space. Brands and manufacturers in the industry have been leaning into AI-powered recommendations to meet growing demand for personalized and efficient beauty advice.

Last week, Ulta Beauty launched its own plugin on ChatGPT to offer AI-powered personalized beauty recommendations and shopping efficiency. The plugin provides consumers with recommendations based on the information they provide in the form of an AI bundle — a bundle of products tailored to the consumer.

Earlier, both Sephora and Revieve made similar moves as the former debuted an app inside ChatGPT and the latter launched an AI Skin Advisor in the AI assistant. Both moves targeted personalized product discovery.

dsm-firmenich and The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) also made advancements in the AI personalization and discovery spaces last month. dsm-firmenich applied AI to ingredient discovery while ELC used AI-powered insights to optimize brand visibility across generative search platforms.

Meanwhile, Target is leveraging its brick-and-mortar spaces and online presence. The beauty retail giant recently launched Target Beauty Studio, an in-store and online specialty beauty space featuring over 1,600 products from 90 brands, with most brands debuting on the store’s shelves as part of the kick-off.