Estee Lauder launches its Origins brand in China

16-Mar-2010 - Last updated on 16-Mar-2010 at 16:36 GMT

The Estee Lauder Companies has launched its Origins skin care brand in mainland China, tapping into the potential of the Chinese market for cosmetics.

The plant-based Origins line includes make-up and aromatherapy products as well as skin care products, and is being stocked at the Parkson Department Store in Shanghai.

The company plans to expand distribution in both Beijing and Shanghai over the next few months, and expects the brand to resonate with consumers.

“Chinese consumers are passionate about skin care and natural ingredients, so Origins will be very relevant in this market,” said Carol Shen, general manager of the Estee Lauder companies in China.

China is important market for Estee Lauder

According to William P Lauder, executive chairman of the Estee Lauder Companies and one of the founders of the Origins brand, the fast-growing Chinese market represents an important growth opportunity for the company.

“China is strategically important for our company and we expect that Origins will help fuel our continued expansion here,” he said in a statement.

For the 2009 financial year, company sales in China grew by almost 30 per cent, and Estee Lauder states that the market in China for beauty products could grow to rival that of the US over the next decade.

The company has had a presence in China for several years, and first entered the market in 1993 with its Clinique and Estee Lauder brands.

Currently, nine of its brands are sold in upscale department stores and perfumeries across 33 major Chinese cities. In addition, e-commerce websites in China for Clinique, Estée Lauder and La Mer have been launched.

Shanghai R&D center

Asian skin care is a key focus area for the Estee Lauder companies, and an R&D center established in Shanghai in 2005 helps to drive innovation in this area.

According to the company, the center was created to study the safety and efficacy of botanical and synthetic materials for use in topical products, as well as to explore why different skin types respond differently to environmental stressors.

The center also deals the development of formulations and raw materials, as well as marketing and consumer research.