Global prestige skincare brand SK-II has launched its first “Social Retail” pop-up store in the Haitang Bay Duty Free Shopping Centre in Hainan, China.

The pop-up is inspired by #ChangeDestiny — SK-II’s brand purpose — and ‘VS’, the new six-part animated anthology series by SK-II Studio. This is the brand’s first film studio and content hub dedicated to tackling social pressures facing women.

Located in the Haitang Bay Duty Free Shopping Centre operated by China Duty Free Group, the SK-II ‘Social Retail’ pop-up is active from 1 May to 31 May 2021.

The pop-up marks a new milestone in SK-II’s global innovation journey to transform beauty and skincare retail experiences in a ‘safe, engaging and meaningful’ way.

ANIMATED ANTHOLOGY SERIES

Centred around the concept of ‘The Line is the Ride’, the SK-II “Social Retail” pop-up immerses visitors in the cinematic universe of the animated anthology series, according to the brand.

Through a WeChat Mini Program, visitors can transport themselves into the world of ‘VS’ with just a click on their mobile phones. They will be able to watch the ‘VS’ films and participate in an augmented reality experience—battling an underwater “kaiju” alongside their favourite Olympic athlete Liu Xiang as they wait in line.

On entering, visitors can enjoy a personalised skin analysis with SK-II’s latest contactless skincare counselling innovation—the Mini Magic Scan.

SK-II’s Mini Magic Scan is an Artificial Intelligence-enabled skin analysis tool. It allows visitors to understand their skin strengths and potential, unlock their skin age and receive personalised skin analysis and product recommendations in three minutes.

No direct facial contact is needed as it can detect fluctuation of skin at pixel level and assess the stability of skin by homing in on three zones – eye, cheeks and mouth using facial recognition. It is also smaller in size and more convenient compared to previous years.

SK-II will also launch its exclusively designed Special Edition Collectible Pins at the SK-II “social retail” pop up. The limited-edition pins will be complimentary for every visitor.1

The SK-II “Social Retail” pop-up is part of the brand’s ongoing foray into retail innovation and a global transformation to connect with a new generation of consumers who are craving more meaningful experiences with brands they know and trust.

A global learning lab to explore new ways of retail through advanced technology in real-world retail formats, SK-II has launched several Future X Smart Stores in Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, along with in department stores, pop-ups and travel retail.

‘PHYGITAL’ SKINCARE EXPERIENCES

Through creating “phygital” skincare experiences, SK-II hopes to take the intimidation and pressure out of skincare shopping in the offline retail space. This will be achieved by giving control back to the consumer and providing her options to safely browse, shop and learn about skin at her own pace and on her own terms.

Sandeep Seth, Chief Executive Officer, Global SK-II said: “#Changedestiny is at the heart of our brand purpose at SK-II. For years, we have celebrated how destiny is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice through the stories of courageous women around the world.

“This year, we want to further our commitment towards our brand purpose and bring more consumers in new and meaningful ways.

“We are thrilled to launch SK-II’s first ‘social retail’ pop-up in Hainan inspired by our brand purpose #ChangeDestiny and the newest instalment by SK-II Studio—the ‘VS’ series.

“Engagement in the beauty and skincare category has generally been ‘tactile’ in nature—what you can see, touch and feel. In these times of the pandemic, we want to provide our consumers contactless, gamified experience where she can gain inspiration and learn about her skin in a safe yet engaging way.”