Flourishing in China: Radha Beauty taps into local demand for natural US beauty products

Radha Beauty offers natural and organic skin care and wellness products that draws inspiration from traditional Ayurvedic treatments.

It was founded in 2014 by a Singaporean entrepreneur that and quickly became the top bestselling beauty and aromatherapy brand on Amazon.

In 2016, the company expanded the brand into China, where it saw the potential for its natural products in the vast beauty market.

However, the brand’s trio of business partners that took over the brand in 2018 reinforced its local partnerships and helped them to ‘blossom’ in more recent years.

Its partnerships have been crucial in helping the brand overcome the challenges of the market, which can be complicated for foreign companies, said CEO Chris Longo.

“Business-wise, we’ve had to learn the much stricter compliance and regulatory needs of the Chinese market. We had to find the great partners we have today that help us navigate those challenges.”​

Longo told CosmeticsDesign-Asia​ that the company eyed plenty of potential in China as local consumers had an insatiable demand for natural beauty products.

“Traditionally, we were looking at the sheer size of the economy and the number of potential consumers. From a brand awareness standpoint, we believe that natural and clean products will continue to flourish in the upcoming years in the APAC regions.”​

Additionally, the company has observed an increasing demand for high-quality and trustworthy imported products.

“Radha Beauty provides a sense of trust in our brand as a high-quality, American brand. In addition, our products are natural and free of many harsh chemicals, which means that they are safe to use on many skin types.”​

Online efforts paying off

Radha Beauty is currently available in China via cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) through an official store on Alibaba’s Tmall Global, which launched in June 2018.

To stand out in the saturated e-commerce space in China, the company relied on the local expertise on its partners.

“We work with great partners in China who are able to digitally distribute throughout the country in an effective way,”​ said Longo.

Additionally, the brand also utilised marketing tools like livestreaming to help “establish a strong brand awareness and trust” ​among the local consumers.

Livestreaming is the marketing weapon of choice for most brands in China as it offers them a chance to engage and connect with consumers in real-time despite existing in the virtual realm of e-commerce.

The establishment of its digital presence in China has paid off during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The health crisis caused city-wide lockdowns, leaving thousands confined to their homes and physical storefronts shuttered.

While the company had to contend with logistical issues initially, its business in China has been relatively unscathed.

According to a report by McKinsey & Company, sales of skin care, hair care and bath & body products having been to be benefiting from self-care and pampering trends during COVID-19.

Moving forward, Longo said the company was looking to expand its footprint further across the Asian region.

“We do see great potential for Radha Beauty in other parts of Asia. We’re looking into expanding into India and Malaysia, as well as a couple other regions. We will continue to promote the trend of natural and clean beauty, where ancient remedies are pulled into the modern age.”​