CEO of Aussie spa brand eyes further expansion into China following successful market entry

11-Sep-2019 - Last updated on 11-Sep-2019 at 01:46 GMT

Australian beauty and wellness company endota is eyeing further expansion into China and SEA. ©endota

Australian beauty and wellness company endota is eyeing further expansion into China and SEA as consumers continue to perceive self-care as an essential rather than a luxury.

Melanie Gleeson, founder and CEO of endota told CosmeticsDesign-Asia that the company was optimistic about its opportunities at home and abroad considering how fast the global wellness market was growing.

“Though considered relatively young, it’s now worth a staggering $4.2 trillion, making it one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing industries. The future holds a focus on everyday wellness integrated as part of everything we do and not limited to being a treat or a luxury.”

The firm is especially interested in the Chinese market: “With the need to focus on wellness in China it feels like a natural fit for the women of China to experience endota,” said Gleeson

She continued: “Our philosophy is that wellness is an essential – not a luxury. We believe self-care is a selfless act because when you are well, so is the world around you. This sentiment resonates with Australian and Chinese woman who commonality shares the increasing pressure of being the central figure in the family unit and career. ”

Building momentum in China

The brand launched in China late 2018 with an official WeChat account. Since then, it has launch an official account and store on Little Red Book.

Since its debut, Gleeson said the brand has been gaining traction on Chinese social media and e-commerce platforms.

“We’ve been thrilled with the consistent feedback that our brand is authentically Australian, showcasing our premium product quality and brand attributes that resonate so well with this audience.”

At this year’s edition of the China International Beauty Expo (CIBE), endota picked up the ‘Most Popular Beauty Brand’ award while Gleeson was recognised with the ‘She Pow’ award which celebrates women in business.

“We were also selected to be a feature partner on a six-part TV series that showcases Australian and Chinese brands that is to be aired on Sky News in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, as well as People.cn, the largest media organisation in China with over 130 million viewers per day,” said Gleeson.

The company hopes to use the positive momentum to continue extending its footprint in China.

“endota is looking to work with long-term partners to not only assist us with distribution but also to work on the development and education of the endota brand in the Chinese market to communicate our core wellness belief,” said Gleeson.

However, while Gleeson believes there is “no better way” for Chinese beauty consumers to experience endota’s holistic approach to wellness through its spa treatments, the company has no immediate plans to open a spa in China.

Asia ambitions

Instead, the firm will explore expanding into other parts of Asia and establish a strong presence in both North Asia and South East Asia.

“endota has received plenty of interest from other parts of Asia, particularly in SEA. Efforts are now in place to create a presence on some major cross border e-commerce platforms, as well as an appointment of a distributor in Thailand. We may explore the opening of endota spas in Asia, so watch this space.”