CHINA. Coty made its debut at the second annual China International Consumer Products Expo [Hainan Expo], which ran from 26-30 July.
The company’s presence at the expo sought to heighten the beauty giant’s brand equity and awareness in China and accelerate its travel retail business in Hainan.
Coty’s space was divided into corporate and brand display zones and showcased seven brands in the fragrance, makeup and skincare categories. These included Gucci Beauty, Burberry Beauty, Chloé, Lancaster, Miu Miu, Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs.
Gucci Beauty, a triple-axis brand in China’s prestige beauty market, presented a range of hero makeup and fragrance products. The brand zone featured striking campaign visuals, virtual try-on and an Alchemist’s Garden experience, inviting visitors to explore the colourful and whimsical world of Gucci Beauty.
The Burberry Beauty area was inspired by the brand’s values of freedom, escapism and spirit of exploration. Burberry Hero, Burberry Her Eau de Toilette and the Burberry Signatures Collection were some of the core fragrance lines featured. The latter enjoyed triple-digit growth on Tmall and is one of the top high-end fragrances on the platform, Coty said.
Chloé highlighted the Atelier Des Fleurs collection, which according to Coty has become one of its fastest-growing lines in China. Atelier Des Fleurs takes an innovative customisable approach to scent and comprises 12 niche fragrances. It was inspired by a florist’s boutique and likens fragrance compositions to floral bouquets. A giant heart-shaped flower installation was the key design element of the space.
A huge DNA-shaped chandelier sits at the centre of the Lancaster brand zone, with the tagline ‘Repair is our DNA’. Here, visitors were able to discover the right skincare, cleansing, anti-aging and sun protection regimens to suit their specific skincare needs. The 365 Skin Repair Youth Renewal Serum, the subject of a glamorous VIP event in Sanya last December, was the star of the Lancaster Zone.
At the Miu Miu zone, shoppers were able to mix and match eight patterns to create their own bespoke fragrance.
Sustainability to the fore
Coty highlighted its partnership with LanzaTech, a global supplier of sustainable ingredients. Coty and LanzaTech have teamed up to manufacture CarbonSmart, a sustainable ethanol.
CarbonSmart is made by capturing and fermenting carbon emitted by industrial activities before it is released into the atmosphere. CarbonSmart reduces carbon emissions, is produced with almost zero water consumption and minimises Coty’s impact on biodiversity. This year, Coty started producing its first fragrances with CarbonSmart, in line with its goal of transitioning a majority of its fragrance portfolio to sustainable ethanol by 2023.
As reported, Coty is working across stakeholders to improve its online and offline shopping experience. The beauty company partnered with Ant Group to deploy the Alipay+ digital payment solution into global travel retail.
China focus
Since 2021, Coty has opened four brick and mortar stores for Lancaster in Hainan. Recent activations include the Lancaster Timeless Beauty VIP event, fragrance annual awards and ‘Around the World’ pop-up in GDF Plaza. Coty has opened 14 outlets across its brand portfolio in Hainan. This includes eight makeup counters, four skincare placements and two pop-ups.
Coty Global Travel Retail Executive Vice President Caroline Andreotti commented: “We’re very delighted to participate in the second Hainan Expo. Located at the centre of the Asia Pacific region, Hainan is backed by the strong market in mainland China. It can also reach the nearby markets of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan as well as emerging Southeast Asian countries.
She added: “It is a key base for Coty’s global travel retail business, considering the excellent tourism resources and preferential policies here.
“More importantly, it is now promoting the Hainan Free Trade Port with a higher level and higher quality. The region’s continuously optimised business environment, vigorous development momentum and potential will keep inspiring us to move forward.”
With Hainan offering so many opportunities for growth, Coty is doubling down on investments in China. Andreotti said: “Amidst the global impacts of COVID-19, China has already ushered in the recovery and revitalisation of the travel retail industry. Thanks to the government’s powerful pandemic prevention and control policies, we are confident in the Chinese market and the travel retail business.
“This year, we’ll continue expanding in China as one of Coty group’s six strategic priorities. We plan to open more stores in Hainan and the China domestic market over the next two years, with the goal of offering Chinese customers excellent products and services. We also want to share a sustainable future with customers and start another chapter following our ‘Beauty that lasts’ ethos.”
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