Depilatory products in China have experienced a notable increase in demand due to various factors. Firstly, there is a growing awareness and importance placed on personal grooming, leading many individuals to turn to such products.
Additionally, the wide range of available depilatory products, coupled with effective marketing campaigns, has played a significant role in increasing consumer awareness and interest in these products.
Looking ahead, the consumption of depilatory products, particularly among females, is expected to further rise, driven by the influence of the younger population and their adoption of Western lifestyles.
This presents an opportunity for brands looking to enter the Chinese market.
China’s Depilatory Market
Depilatory products are considered cosmetic products used to remove hair on the surface of the skin. The Chinese depilatory products market has been segmented into:
- hair removal creams
- gels
- lotions
- wax strips
- razors
- blades
According to Euromonitor International, women’s razors and blades recorded the most robust growth in depilatories in recent years because they are easy to handle and are gaining in popularity among many consumers.
Brands should not forget that depilatory products are categorized as special use cosmetics (SPU), therefore, these products require a pre-market registration and can only be imported after getting approval from National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).
Top 3 Depilatory Brands in China
- Veet: This is a globally recognized brand of hair removal products that was also popular in China. Veet offers a range of products from wax strips to hair removal creams.
- Gillette (P&G company): Gillette is a well-known brand of shaving products, owned by Procter & Gamble (P&G) company.
- Nair: Nair is another popular depilatory brand in China, offering a variety of hair removal products such as creams, sprays, and wax strips. They are known for their gentle and effective formulas.
How to promote your depilatory brand in China?
Brands that want to enter the Chinese market should understand that Chinese consumers don’t buy products they don’t know. Given their widespread use of the internet, in the choice of their products they rely on people who have tried those products, on friends, on reviews on social networks, and above all on the reviews of their idols.
Therefore, a good digital marketing campaign is essential to allow your brand to enter the Chinese market. The channels for promoting your brand in China are different from the Western ones, so how to carry out an appropriate marketing campaign for the Chinese market? and above all which digital channels to use?
The key to running a successful advertising campaign is localizing. Combining SEO, PPC, PR, forums, and social media will ensure your company looks legit in the eyes of your target.
Chinese website on Baidu
Baidu is the first choice for an advertising campaign to reach Chinese consumers. To be visible on Baidu, the Chinese Search engine, a brand should create:
- Chinese website
- Hosted in China
- Get ICP license
Because Baidu knows only Mandarin and gives priority to websites hosted in China, so they are extremely important for your SEO ranking.
The choice of the Chinese language is also useful for Chinese people that don’t know English well, which is not uncommon in China.
In addition, the website culture is different, therefore you need to adapt your content and design to the local expectations. For example, Chinese consumers are looking for a site with a lot of information, as opposed to the simple layout of Western websites.
Brands should also take advantage of Baidu SEM tools.
Social media promotion
China is the largest social media market in the world, with people increasingly addicted to these platforms. They use them to look for a place to share their opinions, ask for product advice and connect with others.
Since, as we said previously, the new generation is the one that mostly uses hair removal products, brands should carry out a specific marketing campaign for them.
Entertaining digital marketing campaigns will be the right choice for this generation. But what are the Chinese social media used by this group of consumers?
Wechat H5 and Official Account
WeChat is the main channel for companies that want to promote their products and communicate directly with Chinese consumers: with over more than a billion active users and more than one million transactions per minute, WeChat is an aggregator of features that allow the user a true omnichannel experience.
It allows users:
- to create a circle of contacts
- publish content
- stay informed about news in any area,
- to make reservations
- shop online
- pay via mobile
- transfer money to other contacts
Everyone in China, including Chinese Generation Z, loves this app!
Open a Weibo account for your depilatory brand
With more than 580 million monthly active users, Weibo is the second most used social network in China. It can be considered a mix of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, presenting itself as a micro-blogging platform.
It allows users:
- Share posts, photos, videos, external links, files, and text messages
- Follow specific topics through hashtags (#)
- Create microblogs and surveys and search for information or advice
- Use promotions for online purchases on connected e-commerce platforms
- Communicate to the masses
- Collaborate with KOL to increase audience ratings and recommendations through word of mouth
Douyin and depilatory brands promotion
With more than 743 million monthly active users, Douyin is the most loved app by Chinese millennials because it gives you the opportunity to make and watch funny short videos.
- Watch a short video based on the algorithm of the preference of the user
- Stay up to date on trending topics
- Follow celebrities, brands, and KOLs
- Watch live streaming
- Brands can create partnerships with Douyin KOLs and sell their products through videos or live streams to lead the campaign and create brand buzz
How to sell your depilatory brand in China?
In addition to Weibo, WeChat, and Douyin that also offer you the possibility to sell your products through in-app links that refer to external e-commerce platforms, the most used e-commerce channels to sell your depilatory products to Chinese millennials are Tmall and Xiaohongshu.
Well-Trusted Platform to Buy Beauty Brands: Tmall
Tmall is the biggest B2C (business-to-consumer) platform in China. It was launched by Alibaba’s Taobao in 2010 and since its creation is the first e-commerce platform in China.
Tmall is a general marketplace and offers consumers all kinds of products from over 100,000 brands. Authorized brands and retailers are present on Tmall through the creation of a real Flagship Store graphically customizable.
This allows brands to successfully promote their identity and allows them to create a very accurate user experience.
Xiaohongshu and KOLs collaborations to engage young consumers
Xiaohongshu, also known as RED is a social media and e-commerce platform. It was created by Miranda Qu & Charlwin Mao in June 2013.
70% of its users are born after the 1990s (or Generation Z) and 80% of the users are females, therefore it is your perfect choice to sell depilatory products.
The app allows users to post and share product reviews, travel blogs, and lifestyle stories via short videos and photos and at the same time, thanks to its RED Mall, sells international products to Chinese users.
KOL collaboration on this platform is a good opportunity for brands to gain the trust of Chinese consumers and induce them to buy products.
Cross-border e-commerce to sell Depilatory brands in China
China’s Cross-border e-commerce platforms have become highly popular among consumers as major channels to buy authentic foreign goods.
If you want to sell your products without having to face the long and complex authorization procedure with local authorities, which is mandatory for export and sale through traditional channels, you can choose between Tmall Global and Kaola.
Tmall Global
Tmall Global allows international businesses with no physical presence in mainland China to set up an online store on the platform and tap into a huge and profitable consumer base who are excited about online shopping.
Tmall Global allows companies to avoid certain procedures such as:
- to have a physical store or a warehouse
- to be registered with the Chinese authorities
- to have a Chinese business license
Kaola
Kaola is an e-commerce company part of the NetEase group and provides online sales of various imported products via cross-border e-commerce.
All foreign products, like cosmetics, household products, clothes, and accessories, on the platform are managed and purchased directly from local suppliers through various factories around the world.
Kaola is also characterized to offer promotions including daily offers, member offers, special coupons, and more, which attract many Chinese consumers looking for foreign goods and affordable prices.
We are your local partner in China! Contact us!
Depilatory products have become increasingly popular in China due to changing beauty standards, higher disposable income, and the influence of social media. Chinese consumers are looking for convenient and effective hair removal solutions, leading to a rise in the sales of depilatory products.
The market is highly competitive, with both international and domestic brands offering various options like creams, lotions, wax strips, and electronic devices. Chinese consumers prefer affordable, easy-to-use products with long-lasting results.
Additionally, there is a growing demand for natural and organic options, prompting brands to introduce eco-friendly depilatory products.
With a wide range of options available, consumers have the freedom to choose products that best suit their needs and preferences.
Collaborating with an agency specialized in the Chinese market is the best way to achieve your goal and increase your Return On Investment. As all companies are different, the marketing and advertising strategy must be tailored according to their needs and within their financial means
Proud of the success of the companies we have helped over the years, we know exactly what a certain company needs.
Thus, if you have questions about selling, advertising, exporting, etc. your cosmetics in China, contact us directly, and we will reply to you within 24 hours.