Hair Accessories, Niche Scents Fueling Italy’s Beauty Business

MILAN — After two years of a shy recovery, Italy’s beauty market got a slight case of the jitters and softened a bit in the first quarter of this year, industry executives said. Consumer confidence was negatively impacted at home by factors like political instability, and from abroad came phenomena such as Brexit, exchange-rate fluctuations and terrorist attacks. Yet Italian executives remain optimistic when polled about the resilience of the Italian beauty market overall. “It is always tough, with low single-digit [gains],” said Luciano Bertinelli, chief executive officer of Ferragamo Parfums, who pointed to Millennials and the e-commerce business as examples of growth drivers. “These can be an opportunity for everybody.” La Rinascente executives agreed. In the department store’s Milan flagship, for instance, Millennials have recently been targeted with a dedicated area. Alongside beauty, the three-floor annex also offers women’s and men’s apparel, accessories, stationery and tech products targeting a younger clientele. On the first floor up, a 540-square-foot corner showcases a selection of niche beauty labels, including hair-care brands Ouai Haircare, R+Co, Gum and Amika; skin-care labels This Works, Sister & Co. Skin Food, Mizon and Egyptian Magic, plus tools such as Beauty Blender’s sponges. There’s also a NYX stand there. According to Cinzia

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