Florence flagship design recreated for first time in Korea

Perfume engraving service and gifts offered during opening period

The Santa Maria Novella store at Shinsegae Department Store's Gangnam branch [Shinsegae International]
The Santa Maria Novella store at Shinsegae Department Store's Gangnam branch [Shinsegae International]

Santa Maria Novella, an Italian beauty brand imported and distributed by Shinsegae International, announced Friday that it has completed a renovation of its store at Shinsegae Department Store's Gangnam branch.

The redesign centered on expressing the brand's identity. For the first time at any of its stores in Korea, the Gangnam location recreates the floor pattern of the Florence flagship, using the same three colors of marble found in the original. The renovation lets customers experience a heritage tracing back to the brand's founding in Florence in 1221.

To mark the reopening, the store is offering gifts with purchase through Monday, including a chuseok string pouch, a Rosa Gardenia total kit and a perfume pouch, with the specific item tied to the purchase amount. An exclusive in-store perfume gift set and related promotions are also available.

Through Sunday, customers who purchase a 50- or 100-milliliter eau de cologne or perfume at the Gangnam store can have a name or message hand-engraved on the bottle as a complimentary service.

For the Chuseok holiday, the store is also offering a Korea-exclusive gift-wrapping service. The wrapping features autumn-inspired motifs — pears, jujubes, rice stalks, dried persimmons and chestnuts — along with a pattern drawn from the black-and-white marble of the "Antica Farmacia," the oldest room in the Florence flagship.

"We put great care into the renovation so that customers can feel the brand's 800 years of heritage while shopping," a Shinsegae International Santa Maria Novella official said. "Through our differentiated services, customers will be able to experience the brand's value and appeal even more deeply."


spa@heraldcorp.com