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The two companies said on Friday that the new stores -- dubbed
"le drugstore parisien" -- will offer beauty products and
healthcare goods, as well as over-the-counter medicines.
For Casino, the tie-up with L'Oreal marks its latest move away
from grocery stores, as France's traditional retailers seek new
ways to appeal to shoppers.
The first two outlets will open this weekend in the chic 9th and
6th districts of Paris, attracting shoppers with hairdresser and
drycleaning services, shoe-shining machines and mobile phone
charging points.
For L'Oreal, the stores will give its products greater exposure.
Unlike large pharmacy chains such as CVS Health and Duane Reade
in the United States or Boots in Britain, French pharmacies
stock only medicines and a limited range of personal products
and often have restricted opening hours.
The "drugstore" outlets' longer opening hours are aimed at
reflecting changing, modern lifestyles.
A spokeswoman for Casino said a third "drugstore" could open in
Paris if the first two did well, and that Casino and L'Oreal
might expand the concept abroad.
The companies did not give any financial details or targets for
the "drugstores".
Department stores in the French capital are also seeking to give
consumers a more interesting shopping experience to lure them
away from buying goods online.
In January, Le Printemps opened a food hall on the 7th and 8th
floors of its Haussmann building dedicated to men's fashion and
luxury group LVMH <LVMH.PA> opened a second upmarket La Grande
Epicerie store in Paris's posh 16th district last year.
(Reporting by Pascale Denis; Additional reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta;
Editing by Richard Lough/Keith Weir)
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