Vending machines for beauty and personal care are certainly not new concepts. Various incarnations of the concept have emerged in the last decade without significant traction in terms of distribution, but very effective for marketing initiatives. Fashion retailer & Other Stories is giving vending machines a go with a test in Paris as a way to promote contactless shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.

The tailor-made vending machine experience is filled with favorites from the & Other Stories bath and body range, turning a seemingly forgotten space into a little hub that serves up beauty products while telling the story of who they are.

“We felt very inspired by the idea of creating our own vending machine experience, turning it into a mini version of our stores. It has special features conveying several layers of our world. We hope that it will make people curious and inspire them to explore our stories,” Ebba Kettner, Head of Brand Design at & Other Stories, said in a statement.

& Other Stories’ first vending machine launched exclusively in the La Coupole building at Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann, placed among the contemporary women’s fashion on the second floor. Set up for quick replenishment or discovery, the vending machine will be merchandised with the four top fragrances from their bath and body range: Perle de Coco, Punk Bouquet, Sicilian Sunrise, and Arabesque Wood. The product categories include hand soap €7, mini hand cream €5, eau de toilette €30, and roll-on perfume €15.

This project is a collaboration between & Other Stories and The Laboratory, H&M Group. The Laboratory acts as a challenging partner for the H&M Group, whose goal is to explores opportunities together with outside partners on a conceptual level.

“We strive to constantly develop and challenge ourselves and there is always room for interesting new ideas and initiatives. With this pilot together with & Other Stories we want to offer a great customer experience with convenience and local relevance by being present in customers everyday life. We test small and scale smart once having learnings, starting with one location in Paris,” says Anna Tillberg Pantzar, Head of The Laboratory, H&M Group.