Amorepacific taps Lazada to help Sulwhasoo reach younger consumers

03-Jul-2019 - Last updated on 03-Jul-2019 at 02:07 GMT

Amorepacific has partnered with Lazada to extend Sulwhasoo’s online footprint in South East Asia. ©Sulwhasoo

Amorepacific has partnered with Lazada to extend Sulwhasoo’s online footprint in South East Asia and reach its younger consumers with its luxury brand.

Sulwhasoo has launched on Lazada’s LazMall, which already hosts Amorepacific brands Laneige, Mamonde, innisfree and Etude House.

This news follows the announcement that the two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to accelerate its digital presence in SEA.

“Lazada is the region’s e-commerce leader, particularly in the beauty space, and the best possible partner to take our business online in Southeast Asia. We hope to bring Sulwhasoo’s value of Asian beauty to more customers and help them experience our unique beauty solutions in a new way,” said Mina Kim, senior vice president of Sulwhasoo at Amorepacific.

Lazada Group president Jing Yin added: “The influence of South Korean beauty trends and culture in this region is undeniable, and we are pleased to bring one of Korea’s top skincare brands Sulwhasoo online with Lazada – reinforcing our leadership in the beauty category and in serving our female customers.”

Targeting the millennials

Launching its flagship prestige brand on Lazada will give Amorepacific the opportunity to connect with younger consumers.

According to Moony Li, senior vice president, regional head of FMCG, Lazada, a majority of beauty consumers on Lazada are between 20 to 35 years of age.

She believes these consumers are more willing to purchase luxury beauty products online.

“Young consumers tend to be more willing to try new luxury products after researching online across multiple channels, as opposed to receiving face-to-face consultation and testing products in-store.”

Li believes that a brand like Sulwhasoo will resonate with SEA’s luxury consumers.

“Anti-ageing beauty products have gained popularity across Asia over recent years, especially among younger consumers who are showing more interest and increasingly invested in incorporating luxury beauty products into their skincare routines.”

One of Lazada’s strength, said Li, is in its ‘Shoppertainment’ strategy.

“Lazada’s shoppertainment strategy and technology equip our brand partners with powerful tools to interact with young customers and uplift the shopper experience through features including livestreaming, feeds and games. So far, 90% of the luxury brands’ consumers on LazMall are either new to the brands or previously inactive customers.”

Additionally, Lazada and Amorepacific have worked together to tailor offers that resonate with the target consumer.

“We worked with Sulwhasoo to define the hero product offer for young consumers – including smaller sizes and free gifts with accompanying orders,” said Li.

Growing luxury business

Li believes there is plenty of opportunity for luxury goods on Lazada.

“We have seen a growing demand of the online luxury categories in SEA and are inspired by the huge success of official luxury business on Tmall in China. Our goal is to build an online department store where consumers can buy trusted luxury beauty products directly from brand flagship stores anytime, anywhere across South East Asia.”

Today, LazMall is home to more than 15 luxury brands from Estée Lauder Companies, Shiseido, LVMH, L’Oréal, Coty and Amorepacific.

Li said the company expects the number of luxury beauty products on LazMall to grow significantly over the next few years in terms of brands and markets as well.

“Luxury retail is limited to a small number of shopping malls within big cities. With LazMall, we are providing accessibility to luxury beauty products to aspiring and affluent consumers outside of metro cities,” she said.

For instance, she elaborated that 60% of M.A.C. Cosmetics orders were shipped outside of Metro Manila when the brand launched on Lazada.

Li added that Lazada takes measures to ensure that that ordering online does not take away the luxury shopping experience for consumers.

“Majority of the luxury brands on LazMall, like Sulwhasoo, offer beautifully branded gift-ready packaging. This often comes as a pleasant surprise to consumers who are reassured and confident of the quality of the products that they receive.”