The word of the moment for beauty retailers and companies is – pivot.
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales are an increasingly important focus even for the largest multinationals in the industry.
Henkel, the German maker of Schwarzkopf, for example, acquired a 75 per cent share in Invincible Brands Holdings last week. A fast-growing DTC company with three major brands – HelloBody, Banana Beauty and Mermaid-Me – accessing 1.5 million active customers.
Clarins is taking its first step into the subscription box business in Europe, starting with its home market of France in October.
The iconic French skincare company says that it planned the move prior to the coronavirus pandemic as part of a new servicing model to attract new customers and boost loyalty.
There will be three boxes up for grabs to be delivered every two months. The cheapest is Box Curieuse at 19.90 euros (AUD$32.57) with four travel-size products of up to 50 ml.
The more expensive Box Initiee, lives up to its French moniker by introducing customers to deluxe-size SKUs and will be priced at 39.90 euros (AUD$65.30).
The priciest of the trio is the Box Experte at 69.90 euros (AUD$114.40), containing three to four full-size products – face and bodycare and makeup.
If consumers don’t want to select their own items, Clarins is also offering a “surprise” box option.
Flexibility is a big feature of the new service. Customers can switch easily to other box options or cancel their subscription. The two-month delivery schedule is also an advantage over monthly subscription box services so that customers are not overloaded.
Clarins online sales have soared by 70 per cent during the coronavirus crisis, particularly in Europe.
With in-store samples and testers at a premium or nor available, Clarins subscription box initiative is a great way for new and existing customers to trial new products.