The beauty devices market in China: +325% on Tmall

June 26, 2020|Cosmetics in China, Marketing Cosmetics China

If you think of sell in China your beauty devices or beauty tools and you are searching market trends and solution to sell… this article is for you.

Beauty devices market overview

According to Vynz research, the Asia-Pacific beauty devices market is expected to reach USD 36.9 billion by 2024 and China is the largest beauty device market in the region due to the aging population, the high prevalence of skin diseases and the high disposable income.

In 2017 online beauty device sales have reportedly doubled in just one year and in 2018 accounted for approximately 60% of total market sales.

As technology becomes increasingly intertwined with the beauty industry and consumers become more comfortable with smart devices, chances are growth in the beauty device market will only continue to climb.

However, although, the use of devices for enhancing beauty and improving physical experience has been on the rise lately, it is also noticed that the NMPA (The National Medical Products Administration) imposed strict acceptance criteria for such devices.

What is the segmentation of beauty devices?

On the basis of product type and their related devices, market is segmented into:

  • Hair care (hair removal devices, hair growth devices, hair styling devices)
  • Skin care (light/LED and photorejuvenation therapy devices, cellulite reduction devices, acne removal devices, skin dermal rollers, oxygen and steamer devices)
  • Oral Healthcare Devices

In China, hair removal devices hold the largest market share due to the growing awareness of hair loss and the availability of a wide range of hair removal devices such as epilators and razors.

What are the beauty devices growth factors?

The key factors driving the growth of beauty devices market in China are:

  • Rise in aging population
  • Rising disposable incomes and consumerism
  • Increasing consciousness towards physical appearance
  • Increasing exposure to pollution and UV rays is causing increasing number of infections and skin and hair problems
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) which led to customizable beauty routines at home
  • Mobile applications designed to accompany beauty devices
  • Magnetic beauty devices

The demand for beauty devices is anticipated to remain the largest in the spas and salons due to the large consumer base opting for personal and beauty care at spas and salons. However, with the technological advancements, development of hand-held devices and cheaper products, the demand for at home beauty devices is increased in recent times.

Artificial intelligentce (AI) is creating great consumers experiences

Customer experience is enhanced by the digital transformation of the beauty industry in China, such as:

  • automated retail which, after having scanned the machine’s QR code, offers the possibility to access the product page, to be able to follow the online store on Tmall and buy products at little price and in a short time.
  • virtual makeup try-on & removal which offers consumers to try products like lipstick, eye shadow, blush, eyebrows pencil in less than a second, then, to buy these products after digitally trying them on.
  • voice-guided mirror which can offers professional skin testing, sunscreen index inquiry, beauty reminders, and beauty knowledge.
  • Mobile apps for skin diagnostic like La Roche-Posay spot scan which, based on thousands of photos of the skin and created in collaboration with dermatologists, uses selfies and AI to recommend the right anti-acne routine allowing consumers to obtain a skin diagnostic from a photo of their face taken by a smartphone.

Home-use beauty devices

Thanks to the increase in disposable income, and therefore to the accessibility of beauty devices for home use and for personal care and beauty services, home-use beauty devices is becoming a fast-growing sector in the Chinese beauty market.

More and more people are inclining towards using beauty devices at home rather than visiting a salon or spa for several reasons:

  • Easy to use
  • Value for money
  • Faster results

To reach the demand, for example, Olay launched the Regenerist Cellscience Essence that is teamed with a magnetic applicator, a beauty device powered by micro-current technology and designed to maximize the hero ingredient niacinamide.

What are the major players?

Some of the players operating in China beauty devices industry are:

How to enter in the beauty devices market?

Brands that want to enter in the Chinese market should understand that Chinese consumers don’t buy products from brands they don’t know. For this reason, brands should focus their marketing strategies on Branding.

Given the widespread use of the internet to look for and buy products in China, how can brands create branding in China’s digital ecosystem?

Be visible on Baidu Chinese search engine:

  1. Your website should be hosted in China
  2. You should get ICP license
  3. Your website should be in Mandarin

Social media

China is the largest social media market in the world, with people increasingly addicted to these platforms. However, in China Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter don’t work, therefore people use Chinese social media.

The major used social media are WeChat (1.165 billion monthly active users), Weibo (520 million monthly active users), Xiaohongshu (85 million monthly active users), Douyin (475 million monthly active users).

They spend a lot of time on these platforms doing everything like:

  • look for places, brands and people
  • share their opinions
  • ask for product advice
  • connect with others

For this reason, brands should focus on this platform to:

  • Reach the majority of Chinese people
  • Increase brand awareness
  • Create engagement
  • Create brand loyalty
  • Increase sales

PR -> Forums & KOLs

In China E-reputation is key to success. PR is a good way to build your credibility. Not only you are getting experts talking about you, but it also means backlinks from authority websites.

In addition, brands should complete PR efforts and strengthen their credibility using forums (like Zhihu) and KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) to talk about you. KOLs are very are powerful and widely listen to the Chinese internet. Their opinion matters the most.

GMA can help you creating a community around your brand and connect you to the right KOLs.

How to sell your beauty devices in the Chinese market?

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, brands have 2 choices:

  • Sell your products through e-commerce platforms like Tmall, Xiaohongshu, Pinduoduo and JD.com.
  • Sell your products through cross-border e-commerce platforms like Kaola, JD worldwide, Tmall global, without having to face the long and complex authorization procedure with local authorities, which is mandatory for export and sale through traditional channels.

If you want to sell your products on these platforms GMA can help you through:

  • Brand audit
  • Platforms registration
  • Store management

Do you want to know more about How to use Chinese channels to boost sales? Contact GMA a digital marketing agency, specialized in Chinese digital market.

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