Coty To Install Touchless Fragrance Testers at Retail

After a year-plus of contactless retail experiences born from the COVID-19 pandemic, Coty Inc. has a plan for fine fragrance that it contends will provide a more precise, user friendly and less wasteful way to test a scent in stores.

Coty is rolling out digitally-enabled touch-less fragrance testing devices intended for use at beauty retailers within the next 12 months. The digital device will give customers control over fragrance discovery in store, according to Coty. 
 
The device delivers a single droplet of liquid directly to an arm or a blotter, offering customers a less invasive testing experience. It also uses data to allow Coty, in partnership with retailers, to optimize the placement of the testers and the customer experience by ensuring beauty advisors are on the spot when needed.
 
Real world testing of the units at brick and mortar retail stores begins this month in key European markets, followed by a planned trial in Asia later this year.
 
Coty is partnering with Êverie, a French start-up specializing in smart devices, micro-dosing and diffusion technologies, to bring Coty’s touch-less fragrance tester to life. A multidisciplinary group from Coty have worked alongside Êverie over the past year to develop a connected easy-to-maintain and sustainable device. This tester can work for weeks without a battery recharge and reduces perfume loss compared to traditional testers. It will be compatible with all Coty’s fragrance testers and can be uniquely personalized to each of Coty’s brands, according to the company.
 
“Coty’s touch-less fragrance tester is a breakthrough innovation developed in partnership with Êverie. With the return of in-person shopping, the health and safety of our consumers are always at the forefront of our minds. Deploying a single drop of liquid to the skin with the same restitution as traditional testers, this new technology eliminates unnecessary waste and offers a safe, contact-free alternative for testing,” said Claire Catherine-Mercier, vice president retail experience.
 
Êverie, whic has proprietary technologies in micro-fluidics, atomization, and micro delivery of fluids, was founded in 2011 by Wim Meulenkamp (CEO) and Laurent Foucher (CTO).