A view of Sulwhasoo line-up. (Photo: Amorepacific)

Amorepacific’s luxury cosmetics brand Sulwhasoo has made its debut in India, a country with the world’s second biggest population.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, hitting companies around the world, Amorepacific is not relenting in its strategy for global diversification.

The Korean cosmetics company has adopted tactics for the online market in advance, and later the off-line market, in consideration of the pandemic situation.

India ranks 10th in the global cosmetics market. Amorepacific announced Sulwhasoo’s entry into the Indian cosmetics market on July 13.

Sulwhasoo showcased its representative products on the online channel of Nykaa, India’s No. 1 retailer of beauty, wellness and fashion products. Nykaa, established in 2012, has enjoyed popularity on its online channel.

Sulwhasoo plans to open off-line outlets in major Indian cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, in the second half of the year. Amorepacific is virtually online and off-line sales channels, almost simultaneously. It is the first time a global brand has been launched on omni-channels at the same time.

India, with a population of 1.4 billion people, is evaluated to have high luxury beauty consumption potential with a rise in middle-income earners. Euromonitor International reported that the value of the Indian cosmetics market stood at an estimated $14.8 billion, ranking it seventh in the global cosmetics market. India is predicted to emerge as a cosmetics powerhouse whose market will rank fifth in the world.

Currently, the Indian cosmetics sector has become one of consumer products with the fastest growth rates. As Indian local cosmetics companies are scrambling for competition while global cosmetics brands are rolling their sleeves to enter India.

Behind Amorepacific’s luxury brand Sulwhasoo’s entry into India is that the Indian luxury cosmetics market is enjoying fast growth along with a rise in middle-income earners.

Among the items released by Sulwhasoo are “Yoonjo Essence,” “Congenital Essence,” and “Essential” lines.

Yoonjo Essence is one of Sulwhasoo’s flagship products. Congenital Essence and Essential Line are produced based on the outcomes of a research on ginseng in Goryo. Yoonjo Essence 60ml is priced at 6,200 rupees (99,000 won), similar to Korea’s.

Of late, Indians have paid keen attention to herbal plant content cosmetics. Indians tends to favor natural content cosmetics as consumers try to see not including of animal content while buying cosmetics, so skin care products, made with natural materials such as seaweed extracts are enjoying popularity.

“Sulwhasoo plans to release its skin solutions based on herbal medicinal materials and its over 50 years of research,” an Amorepacific official said.

Sulwhasoo has begun to ramp up online communications to attract Indian Millennials and Generation Z people.
Amorepacific’s brands have entered the Indian market in succession. Innisfree made its debut in India in 2013, followed by Laneige in 2018 and Etude in 2019.