Marionnaud welcomes new niche brands

French perfumery chain Marionnaud has unveiled the arrival of new niche brands to be distributed on its shelves on an exclusive basis for the perfumeries circuit in France.

Spanish baby skincare brand Imagicare, French organic beauty brand Huiles & Baumes and French fragrance brand Parfums Fleurs de Bach will make their debut in the chain, respectively, this April, May and June. The retailer targets organic cosmetics brands, ethnic brands and brands targeting teenagers.

Marionnaud signed its first exclusivity contract in May 2005 with US skincare brand Freeze 24/7, and currently has a portfolio of 16 niche brands, on a similar agreement basis. The most recent Marionnaud partnerships were with French skincare brand Qiriness last November and Canada-based beauty brand Shunga Erotic Art in February.

Another reason for the strategic partnerships may be to better compete with LVMH-owned rival and compatriot Sephora, that has made the offer of exclusivities a key point of its strategy.