Let’s get physical: Watsons opens over 1,400 new stores in Asia market during Covid-19 pandemic

Watsons, the flagship health and beauty brand of A.S. Watson Group, opened over 1,400 new stores across Asia amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and last week Watsons Malaysia went live with its 700th store in the market.

Dominic Lai, Group Managing Director at A.S. Watson Group, says: “The pandemic has been very challenging for us and retailers around the world.”

“The passion and dedication in our 130,000 employees around the world to continue to care for our customers made a difference to enable us weather the storm and transform the crisis into opportunities.”

“We didn’t stop our network expansion during challenging times because we have a solid O+O strategy which is relevant to customers’ needs. We continue to identify strategic locations across Asia and opened over 1,400 new stores in the last three years.”

He adds: “We are delighted to announce the opening of Watsons’ 700th store in Malaysia, one of our fastest growing markets in Asia. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Watsons Malaysia has grown from 535 stores in 2019 to 700 stores now.”

“Loyalty members have also risen from 5.7 million in 2019 to 7.2 million members to date, signalling 1.5 million new members in a short period of time. So far this year, Watsons Malaysia also experienced high double digit sales growth, continuing to be the market leader.”

Watsons Malaysia’s 700th store is located at the KSL Esplanade Mall.

It is the largest Watsons store in the prime district of Klang, spanning over 4,000 square feet and offers such services as StyleMe, an augmented reality powered virtual makeup try-on equipment, a W table for experiential testing for new and exclusive products, while professional makeup artists will be available to provide customers with personalised recommendations.

This is the first location with a dedicated haircare pillar focusing on premium exclusive hair ranges and scalp care from Korea, Japan and the US.

A pharmacy will have pharmacists and healthcare professionals ready to give free health screenings, such as blood pressure, BMI and glucose, while a dedicated new bay will allow customers to explore the latest beauty supplement trends.

There are also a special display showcasing new and exclusive K-Beauty products, an e-stamp corner for customers to shop, collect and redeem exclusive items online, as well as self-checkout counters. Watsons Elite members will also benefit from a dedicated checkout lane.

Watsons has introduced several sustainability initiatives in its new store, including the Sustainable Choices refill station for Natural by Watsons.

Additionally, there is a recycling bin where customers can get a RM5 Watsons voucher for every recyclable bottle returned.