Myer raises eyebrows with move into Botox sales as department stores battle online threat

Could Botox be the latest department store weapon against online sales?

Myer – whose shares hit an all-time low yesterday – is reportedly planning to offer Botox injections through an outside operator in three Sydney and Melbourne stores for wrinkle-conscious individuals, in addition to its hair, beauty and diet offerings.

The move, which is seen as a way for Myer to offer services online competitors cannot replicate, comes after a broker report suggested it at David Jones were particularly vulnerable to the increasing popularity of online sales.

Myer’s more upmarket rival, David Jones, already does women’s health checks in certain stores, plus tailoring and hair and beauty. Reports say personal shopping services will also be expanded to capitalise on figures showing personal shoppers tend to spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars in store.

Myer and David Jones’ moves tap into a train of thought that people are willing to pay for experiences and things that will save them time, but are reluctant to commit to buying goods.

But some have criticised Myer’s Botox plans, saying it normalises a beauty treatment that was once considered extreme or dangerous.

Brian Walker, managing director of the Retail Doctor, says incorporating services with product offerings could be the way forward for larger retailers.

“At the other end of the spectrum, niche specialist retailers need to stay true to their core offer…Any service they introduce must be highly revelant to their core demographic.”

Morgan Stanley said yesterday retailers were “only beginning to feel the impact of internet retailing” and it expects “retailers operating in the electronics and electrical, department store, clothing and footwear and newspapers and books to be most impacted – such as JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Myer and David Jones.”

Another Morgan Stanley chart showed that retail sales volumes have now fallen back to levels seen before the boom last decade.