PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Brooks Pharmacy has a new vision for the drug store industry in the United States. After a five-year crusade to bring a European skin care concept to the states, Brooks president and chief executive officer Michel Coutu late last month unveiled the regional drug chain’s exclusive Derma Skincare Center stocked with venerable French brands, such as Avene and Vichy.

The chain’s first center, which covers more than 250 square feet, is up and running in the Pitman Street store here, and a second rolled out Oct. 28 in the Boston Neck Road store in Narragansett, R.I. Brooks expects to have three Derma Skincare Centers in the Providence metro area by mid-November and expects to roll the concept out to other markets should the test prove successful.

“This is a concept based on knowledge,” said Coutu during a tour of the new department. “It has to be in a professional environment.” That said, the boutique-like, almost department-store look of the center gives the store a point of difference from the convenience store around the corner and the mass retailer up the road.

“This is a test to see if we can break out of the regular drug store world,” said David Morocco, Brooks’ senior vice president of marketing. “It’s all part of trying to to reinvent the drug store.”
Advertisement

“This is about skin health, not about beauty,” Coutu said. Of course, the two generally go hand in hand, which is why the Derma Skincare Center is located just beyond the beauty aisle. The skin care center, complete with trained skin care consultants and outfitted with a state-of-the-art skin analyzer kiosk, is adjacent to the pharmacy. Skin care advisors, trained by professionals from France, can create personalized skin profiles on the spot using state-of-the-art equipment.

The center mirrors merchandising initiatives in Europe and Canada and was developed by French skin care brands in conjunction with dermatologists. Brands featured in the section, namely Vichy, a division of L’Oreal, Avene and Dermablend, all have a strong skin health heritage. Skin care products range in price from $10 to $25.

While the concept may be exclusive to drug stores, it is not exclusive to Brooks Pharmacy. Vichy Laboratories is taking a leadership role in bringing the professional skin centers to drug stores across the United States and has partnered with Avene to build the category. The team also has attracted the interest of CVS, which is currently testing the concept in select stores, according to CVS spokesman Todd Andrews. Stephane Wilmet, general manager of active cosmetics at L’Oreal USA, said drug retailers need initiatives, such as the Derma Skincare Center, to survive. “Is their core mission to sell gum or 99-cent potato chips? No. It’s pharmacy,” said Wilmet.

While the skin care center is a marked departure from what consumers have grown to expect from a drug store, Brooks believes the concept will benefit both consumers and the growth of Brooks Pharmacy. The customer benefits from an enhanced shop in experience, while Brooks Pharmacy continues to prove itself as an innovative leader in the health care industry,” said Coutu.