FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Cosmetics firm expands abroad

Cosmetics firm expands abroad

BSC COSMETOLOGY, a marketing and distribution unit of ICC International for skincare and cosmetics products, plans to continue its expansion in the Asean Economic Community (AEC) and its foray into China, said Bussabong Mingkwanyeon, vice president for the cosmetics and perfume division of ICC.

She said BSC Cosmetology currently exported its skincare and cosmetics products to all four CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam). It also started exporting to China at the beginning of this year.
“The export proportion of our overall sales is now less than 10 per cent. We expect the export contribution to increase significantly to about 15 per cent in the next three to five years,” Bussabong said. 
She said BSC Cosmetology offered a wide range of products including facial powder, makeup and skincare. The firm has been conducting research and development and improving its products continuously to respond to its clients’ requirements. 
Outside Thailand, BSC Cosmetology has a presence in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore. 
“We plan to expand our business into all of the countries in the AEC, [which has demonstrated] attractive growth continuously. 
“The market value of BSC Cosmetology overseas surged by 17 per cent in 2016, mainly on high growth in Myanmar. There is high demand for Thai cosmetics products in Myanmar because of the high quality and affordable prices,” Bussabong said.
She said the company decided to make a foray into China after receiving good feedback from Chinese customers who bought its products at Beauty Station shops. 
“It’s good for us because Chinese people have high purchasing power and like the quality of Thai products. 
“Currently, we mostly export facial powder and makeup products. However, another high-potential category is skincare products, particularly sunscreen lotion. Hot weather and pollution concerns have driven demand for sunscreen lotion in Asia.” 
She said many factors would help the company expand rapidly in China and the AEC. Overseas customers are familiar with the company’s name and perceive it as a high-quality Thai brand. 
“In addition, we always conduct market research by comparing prices, improving product quality and learning consumer behaviour and lifestyles to ensure that we are a good option for customers in China and the AEC.
“When investing overseas, we either make joint ventures with our allies or invest by ourselves to set up counters in big cities. We carefully select the best-quality products to place in each country. 
“To date, we have a presence in almost every big city in neighbouring countries including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Singapore. While our growth in the AEC is rising continuously, we also plan to expand into other countries, especially Malaysia, in the near future,” she said.
“Over the next three to five years, we plan to develop our marketing and brand [by] training salespersons and improving their service mindsets, gaining in-depth understanding of customers’ demands by conducting surveys, increasing distribution on every channel, including online, and penetrating new markets in Asia.” 
In Thailand, the company offers products through 250 counters nationwide, and in more than 10,000 convenience stores, cosmetics shops, drugstores, and rapidly growing online channels. 
“Our online channels include eThailandbest.com and Line Official, and we also partner with Lazada, OShopping, Bento, Tarad.com, True Select and TV shopping channels such as OShopping and S-Channel. The products are selected to match each distribution channel. We have also improved our internal system to support other new distribution channels,” Bussabong said.
“We aim to be the No 1 brand in our categories and become BSC International. We target 10-per-cent growth domestically and 15 per cent in overseas markets this year.
“The production plan is completely separate from the marketing department. We cannot answer on behalf of the plants, which are under the umbrella of Saha Pattana Group. We have set up a plant in Myanmar to make and sell our products there. Only some items will be exported from Thailand,” she said.
“According to our market research, customers are willing to pay for products and services that they believe are worth [the money]. Premium gifts help encourage their purchasing decisions. Also, they tend to do their own research before buying because they can access information easily via websites, Facebook, Instagram and TV commercials,” she said.
 

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