Combating Confusion in Online Retail: IQONIC.AI and Parfümerie CB Bring AI-Powered Skincare Advice to Their Online Store

At a Glance

• IQONIC.AI and Parfümerie CB have launched an AI-powered skin consultation service in Parfümerie CB's online store.

• The technology brings the in-store personalized advice to the digital channel and provides customized product recommendations based on a photo.

• The reason for this is the growing competition from online-only retailers and large chains. These generally do not offer this type of consulting service.

• With 44 stores and its own online shop, Parfümerie CB is part of the beauty alliance perfume store consortium and the Your Beauty Professional Network.

IQONIC.AI and Parfümerie CB have launched an AI-powered skin consultation service in Parfümerie CB’s online store. This allows customers to receive a personalized assessment of their skin type and tailored product recommendations even when they’re not in the store.

The entire specialty perfume retail sector is currently facing a challenge: A growing share of sales is shifting to online-only retailers and large drugstore chains. These retailers primarily compete based on product range and prices, while personalized advice plays a secondary role. For brick-and-mortar specialty stores, this personalized advice is a central part of the business and a real competitive advantage. Until now, however, it has been nearly impossible to replicate this advantage in online stores.

For traditional specialist retailers, several factors are converging to put increasing pressure on in-person consultations: staff shortages, cost pressures, and changing customer expectations across all sales channels. Until now, it has been difficult to replicate the usual level of consultation in their own online stores—and this is precisely where the partnership comes in.

„Specialty retailers thrive on providing advice, but that’s exactly what’s often lost online. With the skin analysis, we’re giving Parfümerie CB a tool that bridges this gap—without replacing the in-store personal consultation“, Maria-Liisa Bruckert, founder and COO of IQONIC.AI explains.

How the AI Consultation Works

Customers take a photo of their face using their own smartphone or tablet. The AI uses this photo to create a personalized skin profile and identifies key concerns, such as dryness, blemishes, or early signs of aging. Based on this, it recommends suitable products from the Parfümerie CB product range. The process requires no additional hardware—just the mobile device’s camera.

Maximilian Jähnig, E-Commerce Manager

Maximilian Jähnig, e-commerce manager at Parfümerie CB, is enthusiastic about the AI tool: "When Maria introduced me to the AI skin analysis, I knew right away: I want to offer this to our customers, too. It’s especially important to me to continuously improve our online store and provide our customers with real added value there. That’s exactly what we’re achieving with the AI skin analysis: We’re giving our customers a personalized skin analysis and helping them find the right products for their individual skin needs."

For Parfümerie CB, which already emphasizes personalized advice through its 44 stores and in-house beauty lounges, this technology complements its in-store service with a digital counterpart: Recommendations in the online store are based on the same principles as in-store consultations, not on a general bestseller list.

How Artificial Intelligence Is Changing the Specialty Perfumery Industry

The technology does not replace advice from trained staff, but rather bridges the gap between online and in-store shopping: Customers who start by creating a personalized skin profile online can continue using it in-store; those who first received advice in-store will find a comparable recommendation system online instead of an anonymous product selection.

For specialty perfumeries as a whole, expert advice is the key differentiator from competitors who primarily compete on product range and price—especially in segments that have seen the strongest growth recently: fragrances grew by 15.0 percent in 2023, and decorative cosmetics by 17.7 percent (IKW projections). This growth is very difficult to tap into without expert consultation.

Whether online or in-store – ultimately, it’s not the channel that determines the quality of advice, but the expertise behind it. For Parfümerie CB, this consulation tool is therefore less of a new feature and more of another channel for what has always set the brand apart.