In the era of homogeneous competition, in addition to achieving differentiation by checking the shortcomings of competing products and carefully selecting customer groups, "format and brand upgrading" is the most common trick.
On the road to luxury, the beauty category, especially high-makeup makeup, is the cornerstone of all projects. So for different levels of projects, different sizes of beauty areas, how should this series of beauty brands plan and organize, and what kind of logic should be used to compare various brands with a wide variety of names?
This article selects the different tactics of several typical commercial entities in the combination of beauty categories, in order to inspire the majority of business people when facing the above problems.
They are: Shanghai IFC IFC, Shanghai Qibao Vanke Plaza, Hangzhou Hubin Yintai IN77 (Area B) and Shanghai Ruiou Department Store.
01 Top luxury market "multi-luxury" consumption orientation
When it comes to high-luxury markets, IFC Shanghai is a dazzling existence.
As one of the shopping malls with the most complete collection of luxury brands in China, its investment portfolio in the beauty category can also be called the current domestic benchmark. We summarize it as "how extravagant" -
- The number of brands is large
- The second highest brand level
- All sub-categories
At present, Shanghai ifc's LG2 has gathered about 50 beauty brands, including about 38 high-makeup products and about 12 fragrances.
Shanghai IFC ifc-LG2 | Source: Self-Photography
Shanghai IFC ifc-LG2 beauty brand location | Source: official micro + self-made
As can be seen from the above diagram, the head brands of major beauty groups, DIOR, Lancôme, YSL, Estee Lauder, and CHANEL, occupy the core position around the atrium with a strong combination.
THE LADIES' BRANDS OF EACH GROUP, LAMER, HR, LA PRAIRIE, THE GINZA, CPB, DECORTÉ, GUERLAIN AND OTHER BRANCHES ON BOTH SIDES, FOLLOWED CLOSELY BEHIND.
Shanghai IFC ifc-LG2 | Source: Self-Photography
Major makeup brands such as NARS, Christian Louboutin, BOBBI BROWN, MAKEUP FOR EVER, etc., as well as GUCCI BEAUTY, Burberry Beauty, etc., enrich the overall beauty category portfolio.
Shanghai IFC ifc-LG2 | Source: Self-Photography
The fragrance category is based on big-name commercial fragrances, mass salon fragrances such as Jo Malone, DIPTYQUE, Atelier Cologne, etc., and has successively introduced niche salon fragrance brands.
For example, Estée Lauder's high-end fragrance brands KILIAN (opened in June 2020, first store in China) and Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle (opened in June 2020, first store in China), Acqua Di Parma (opened in June 2020), BYREDO (opened in January 2021), Penhaligon's (opened in October 2021, first store in China), L'Artisan Parfumeur (opened in November 2021, first store Chinese mainland).
Together with the century-old luxury salon CREED (opened at the end of 2021, the first store in Chinese mainland), the French high-luxury salon MEMO PARIS (opened in January 2023, the first store in China), Maison Margiela (opened in March 2023) and other brands introduced in the past two years, forming the "supreme combination" of high-end fragrance brands in domestic shopping centers.
Shanghai IFC ifc-LG2 | Source: Self-Photography
It can be seen that IFC provides extremely rich high-level consumption choices for consumers at the tip of the pyramid with the overall consistency of brand level and the unity of consumer aesthetic atmosphere through the "one-stop" of Gaohua Group's top and main sub-beauty brands, as well as different sub-category boutiques such as skin care and fragrance.
The low price sensitivity of high-end customers and the increasingly diversified self-expression characteristics of consumers also created conditions for the project to supplement the high-end niche brand matrix and create hot topics such as "niche salon fragrance in China's first store" and "fragrance label".
The landing of these brands with fewer stores has further built the high-end barriers of the project and the possibility of consumption with customer groups.
02 Mid-to-high fashion market The tone of "high sophistication" is broken
In the project of upgrading the shopping center from regional family-type positioning to fashion trend positioning, Qibao Vanke Plaza in Minhang, Shanghai is a leader.
Since the opening of the project in 2016, comprehensive beauty brands such as SEPHORA and L'OCCITANE have been introduced; with the entry of DIOR BEAUTY pop-up stores in 2018 and the official opening of DIOR BEAUTY boutiques in 2019, the model of "pop-up stores testing the waters, boutique locations" has gradually taken shape, and also kicked off the prelude to the beauty upgrade of Qibao Vanke Plaza.
Shanghai Qibao Vanke Plaza | Source: Self-Photography
At present, its L1 has entered 8 international beauty brands: CHANEL BEAUTY, DIOR BEAUTY, GUCCI BEAUTY, GUERLAIN, fresh, NARS, IPSA, L'OCITANE, etc., as well as brand pop-up stores such as ARMANI BEAUTY and Lancôme, showing a high degree of familiarity -
- The second highest brand level
- There are many comprehensive brands
- There are many familiar cards
Shanghai Qibao Vanke Plaza-L1 beauty brand location | Source: Web + Homemade
FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF LAYOUT, WELL-KNOWN HEAD MAKEUP BRANDS SUCH AS SEPHORA, CHANEL BEAUTY, DIOR BEAUTY, GUCCI BEAUTY, ETC. OCCUPY THE CORE POSITION OF THE L1 MAIN ATRIUM.
This kind of brand is famous, and the market appeal is strong, enough to suppress the role of the C position in the whole market; At the same time, as a comprehensive brand, they include skincare, color cosmetics, personal care and some fragrance product lines, which not only guarantee sales, but also make up for the lack of a certain segment of beauty category at the overall project level.
Shanghai Qibao Vanke Plaza | Source: Self-Photography
Following the proximity of the above brands, Qibao Vanke chose popular brands in the makeup and skin care subcategories, such as NARS, GUERLAIN, fresh, IPSA, etc.
Due to regional and customer group level restrictions, when the number of brands is difficult to compete with the top luxury market, choosing a competitive road familiar brand is obviously better than a niche brand that picks more customers.
Shanghai Qibao Vanke Plaza | Source: Self-Photography
It is worth pointing out that IFC's "multi-luxury" beauty lineup is a consumption carrier under the spillover effect of many luxury brands;
For Qibao Vanke Plaza, the gathering of the above-mentioned beauty brands, in addition to the increase in consumption performance, is more important to lay the foundation for the upgrading of the entire shopping center and expand the aesthetic power of the brand portfolio.
Qibao Vanke Plaza, which has been open for more than 6 years, is precisely with the introduction of Gaohua as the starting core, driving light luxury and international boutique brands to enter one after another, and chains to promote the entry of trendy brands and Internet celebrity restaurants, as well as the reinforcement and upgrading of sports brands.
As a classic case of the transformation and upgrading of regional shopping centers, the introduction of beauty categories and investment promotion strategies are also worth learning and studying.
03 Mass Youth Field The confident testimony of "National Peace Light"
Under the premise that the entry threshold of international beauty brands is high, can some shopping malls that do not yet have conditions try to introduce domestic beauty brands to form a gathering area for domestic products, affordable and young beauty to face the masses of young consumers?
Here we select the domestic beauty area of B2, Yintai in77B area, Hangzhou Hubin for analysis.
It should be noted that the overall positioning of Hangzhou in77 is relatively comprehensive: it integrates international famous products, to avant-garde trends, fashion vanes, to exquisite life and vitality and leisure.
Its traditional high-tech brand has a relatively stable position in the D area, and the domestic beauty area underground in the B area deduces another possibility, which we summarize as "Guoping Light" -
- Domestic brands are the mainstay
- There are many affordable goods
- Young brands + young consumers
Hangzhou Hubin Yintai in77-B Area B2 | Source: Self-Photography
Hangzhou Hubin Yintai in77-B Area B2 beauty brand location | Source: official micro + self-made
This area is adjacent to the "Generation Z Cultural Experience District" and gathers a series of well-known domestic affordable brands:
- National girly makeup brand Orange Flowers
- Local natural skin care brand Lin Qingxuan
- Light salon original perfume brand RE perfume room
- Domestic scientific skin care brand Dr. Yaoer
- The perfect diary of a domestic fashion beauty brand featuring European and American styles
- Domestic one-stop beauty collection, brand colorists, etc.
Hangzhou Hubin Yintai in77-B Area B2 | Source: Self-Photography
The introduction of the above beauty brands, on the basis of the core categories of its Generation Z cultural experience block: Sankeng clothing, pet experience, trendy play cultural and creative retail, Internet celebrity restaurants, etc., further complements and improves the complete consumption path of Generation Z under the labels of "personalized dress, appearance dress, interest is king, and food check-in".
This also makes this area not only a testing ground for domestic products, affordable prices, and young beauty categories, but also a core driving engine to attract young customers.
Hangzhou Hubin Yintai in77-B Area B2 | Source: Self-Photography
Thinking about it, if we amplify its value to the whole market positioning, with the combination model of domestic products, affordable and young beauty brands as the core, and match the shopping center positioning the mass level, it should also be a starting strategy to quickly occupy the mass youth market and form a differentiated starting strategy with high-end competitors.
At the same time, I also believe that the young domestic beauty brands that have grown up in the continuous reshuffle include skin care brands Proya, Winona, Nature Hall, Dr. Yaoer, EVE LOM, etc.; makeup brands Mao Geping, Hua Xizi, Fermented Color, etc.; Fragrance brand Guanxia, Scent Library, Modern Bach, etc... It will also become an indispensable and important part of the shopping center in the near future.
The seeding ground for young brands today can help them grow into high-profile brands of tomorrow, bearing fruit in terms of footfall and sales.
04 International Designer Field The complete map of "Fashion Luxury"
The above discussion addresses strategies for different levels of projects, from luxury to fashion to masses. But today's project positioning is obviously not just a linear ranking of grades, but more horizontal development strategies, such as designers, niche style projects or regions, and how to build a beauty brand lineup?
I chose Réel Beauty in B1, which was completed in September 2022 by Shanghai Ruiou Department Store, as a reference.
Shanghai Rui Ou Department Store - B1 Réel Beauty | Source: Self-Photography
Since its opening in 2012, Shanghai Ruiou Department Store has been adhering to the tone of niche luxury and has been adhering to the strategy of introducing the first store of international designer brands, including Maison Margiela, BALENCIAGA, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Marni, ALEXANDER WANG, GOLDEN GOOSE, ACNE STUDIOS, Toteme and other popular international designer brands have attracted the footsteps of Shanghai hipsters and the envy of the domestic industry.
Its B1 Réel Beauty now gathers about 17 beauty brands, including a series of first stores in Shanghai:
- PRADA Perfume & Beauty Store (First Store in Asia Pacific)
- Shiseido's high-end skincare brand BAUM (first store in China)
- American high-end makeup brand HOURGLASS (first store in Shanghai)
- Domestic skincare brand UNISKIN (first store in Shanghai)
- High-end skin care collection store ACHMIQUE (the first store in Shanghai), etc
Shanghai Rui Ou Department Store - B1 Réel Beauty | Source: Self-Photography
Shanghai Rui Ou Department Store - B1 Réel Beauty | Source: Web
There are also several niche fragrance brands:
- FRENCH NICHE SALON PERFUME BRAND ETAT LIBRE D'ORANGE
- FRENCH NICHE SALON PERFUME BRAND MATIERE PREMIERE
- AUSTRALIAN NICHE AROMATHERAPY BRAND LUMIRA
- American aromatherapy brand BOY MELLS
- HIGH-END AROMATHERAPY HOME COLLECTION STORE SCENT BOUTQIUE
- Domestic skincare fragrance brand KASE
- French children's skin care fragrance brand Bonpoint and so on.
As well as HR, Lancôme, Skin Ceuticals skin care stores, YSL, NARS and other well-known well-known brands.
I tried to analyze the brand introduction strategy of Rui Ou Department Store:
The ultimate pursuit of brand level and first store. This can be seen from the words mentioned above for the first store in Asia Pacific, the first store in China, and even many first stores in Shanghai. But at the same time, Réel Beauty is not limited to imported brands, domestic brands such as UNISKIN and KASE have also entered its list, which also confirms the author's expectations for the growth and high-end positioning of domestic beauty brands.
Fragrance brands account for more than one-third of beauty brands, and pay special attention to the selection of niche salon fragrances. I believe that behind this proportion is the personalized expression brought by niche fragrance brands, which is more in line with the trendy luxury positioning of its international designers.
At the same time, the fragrance brand can expand to the aromatherapy home category, which is also in line with the overall "trendy home lifestyle" consumption scene of the project.
Of course, while focusing on "first store" and "niche" to lead the market, Réel Beauty takes into account the introduction of well-known and high-selling well-known and well-known well-known well-known and high-selling brands HR, Lancôme, YSL, NARS, etc., so as to achieve "face and inside" sales revenue guarantee.
Shanghai Rui Ou Department Store - B1 Réel Beauty | Source: Web
The gathering of these trendy beauty brands has perfected the lifestyle map of the entire Rui Ou Department Store in the fields of fashion, beauty, sports, food, art, and interests.
Compared with the high-luxury market, although Réel Beauty is incomparable in the number of brands, it conveys its concept of "leading the cutting-edge modern lifestyle" through the development characteristics of "first store", "personalization" and "lifestyle", and also provides more choices for the emotional consumption of luxury style in the magic capital.
05 Conclusion
Beauty is two words, subdivision is a big track.
For different levels of commercial bodies, there are not only different levels of combinations such as top, head, main force, public, etc., but also different category combinations such as skin care, makeup, fragrance, aromatherapy home, personal care, etc., as well as different consumer groups such as big brand control, domestic goods control, face value control, niche enthusiasts, etc...
I will briefly summarize the combination of the above typical commercial Chinese and American cosmetics categories in the following table, and I hope that you can refer to one or two when planning beauty categories.
Exhibit: Mr. Mall | Author: Joyce