I find Amazon’s brick-and-mortar strategy to be fascinating…but, like many other, I’m also having a hard time keeping score. Earlier this year Amazon opened its first physical store in Italy, a new parapharmacy concept called the Amazon Parafarmacia & Beauty store, located in Milan. This store offers a range of beauty and personal care products, as well as non-prescription medications, with a staff of pharmacists providing guidance. The store is part of Amazon's broader European expansion in beauty and personal care, spanning Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK.
The store features interactive digital displays, where customers can learn about products, and a "Derma-bar" offering digital skin analysis and personalized product recommendations. The store showcases popular brands like Eucerin, La Roche-Posay, and Vichy.
Amazon's move into physical retail in Italy contrasts with its recent pullback in the U.S., where it has closed several retail concepts, focusing more on grocery and convenience stores like Amazon Go and Whole Foods.
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