By Elisabeth King 

One of the major dilemmas facing beauty brands today is deciding whether a trend has long-term legs or is just a fleeting Instagram craze. There’s a real danger of jumping in too enthusiastically with large quantities or being too slow to market. When we originally launched C ·Lab & Co in retail stores, as one of the first to do so people thought that coffee scrubs were a fad says Tijana Desancic, Sales and Marketing Director for Core Metrics. “Today it’s the number one coffee scrub on the retail market and with the biggest size at 330g. Customers also love the fact that it doesn’t contain sugar, especially if they are prone to dermatitis”.

A significant trend that has reignited consumer interest in coffee scrubs is the booming demand for vegan beauty. According to a new report from Grand View Research, the global vegan beauty market is expected to reach US$20.8 billion by 2025. Skincare products are the largest sector in terms of revenue, with a market share of close to 40 per cent, says the data tracker. The US vegan beauty market alone is predicted to exceed US$3 billion over the next five years.

Definitive Vegan Products/Unisex Appeal

Coffee Scrub

C • Lab & Co Coffee Scrub is a definitive vegan bodycare product, says Desancic. “It only contains up to 10 ingredients or less and comes in a large tub to reduce excess packaging. Younger consumers, in particular, are looking for environmentally conscious products that suit their lifestyles and ethics and are cruelty-free”.

“Our coffee scrub is a unique blend of ‘just cracked’ roasted and ground coffee”, she adds. “This method allows the coffee beans to retain their natural oils for added potency. By contrast to other coffee scrubs on the market, these natural oils are partnered with organic Vitamin E oil and sea salt, not sugar which can be abrasive, especially for those with sensitive skin. C • Lab & Co coffee scrub is not only 100 per cent natural, the formula consists of 40+ per cent coffee beans for maximum benefits to the skin”.

Core Metrics has added two new SKUs to the C • Lab & Co franchise – Coffee Body Lotion and Coffee Body Wash. “Both of them have been ranged in Priceline since May and are available in userfriendly 300ml pump packs. Priced at $19.95 and $14.95, respectively, they reflect the growing premiumisation of bodycare. The pump packs  are also appealing to both sexes. Men, too, suffer from dry skin and even more from blemishes on the back and chest, which respond well to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of coffee-based scrubs, lotions and body washes”.

Premiumisation Driving The Bodycare Market

Both the premiumisation and veganism trends have fuelled sales of bodycare in recent years. According to Gabriella Beckwith, beauty and fashion analyst for Euromonitor, global bodycare represents only 14 per cent of total skincare. “But consumers are being encouraged by brands and social media to devote time and money toward bodycare in line with the holistic wellness movement. Consumers are willing to invest more in premium products, as evidenced by premium bodycare growing faster  than mass”.

Jo Lawler, global skincare analyst at Mintel, the global market research firm, confirms that premium bodycare products are related to the work-life balance philosophy and expects to see more and more indie adaptogenic brands entering the market. “Adaptogenic products adapt to the needs of the user, helping stress reduction and re-balance”. C • Lab & Co is positioned for this continued growth in global premium bodycare, which is driven by multibenefits, performance and lifestyle values.

Strong Instagram Focus/Export Moves

Coffee Body Lotion and Coffee Body Wash

C • Lab & Co has been focused on social media and events to get its unique selling proposition across, says Desancic. “In 2016, we took part in the gifting suite and supplied over 300 samples to leading celebrities at the Academy Awards in Hollywood. We scored headlines like Scrub of the A-List in the Herald Sun newspaper and radio interviews on Nova 100 and KIIS FM before and after the Oscars”.

According to a Facebook study, 37 per cent of Millennials focus on Instagram for beauty, inspiration, looks and trends. Instagram has also conducted a large-scale survey and discovered that its users are twice as likely to be passionate about beauty. “Many of C • Lab & Co’s customers look to Instagram and we use the platform to promote the range and recent introductions such as the 100g travel sachets of the original scrub and the coffee and coconut version”, adds Desancic. “Because of such major benefits as targeting cellulite, Instagram posts and other social media activity focus on healthy-looking body skin”.

Export strategies are top of mind for C • Lab & Co. Indonesia is the fastest-growing beauty market in Asia and Sociolla has become the country’s first beauty retailer to stock imported brands such as Marc Jacobs and Shiseido. Imported brands have soared in popularity in Indonesia with sales exceeding US$440 million. “We have just recently launched C • Lab & Co on Sociolla, which ranks as the Indonesian version of Sephora and Adore Beauty”, says Desancic. “Our expansion into Russia, which also distributes our Pure Paw Paw products, is seeing exceptional sales results. We are hoping for the same success with C • Lab & Co. Our New Zealand market is growing very nicely too.”

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