Local potential: Sozio furthers expansion into China for domestic opportunities
![Sozio relocates office to Guangzhou Science City (GSC). GettyImages](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/wrbm_large/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/business-financial/sozio-furthers-expansion-into-china-for-domestic-opportunities/11372936-1-eng-GB/Sozio-furthers-expansion-into-China-for-domestic-opportunities.jpg)
The French firm has recently relocated its subsidiary to Guangzhou Science City (GSC), a science and technology industrial park from another location in the same city.
The new facility is fitted with a perfume laboratory equipped with a large collection of fragrances to cater to both domestic and global markets for personal care, fine fragrances and air care.
Additionally, it also has its own warehouse in order to facilitate faster delivery times, allowing the company to fully cater to the needs of its consumers.
With the new office, the firm was able to expand its team and offer its customers faster service.
“China is a highly competitive market with strong level of services incomparable to any other market. There is a necessity to listen to our customers and deliver samples and products quickly,” said Julie Movsessian, director of marketing, Sozio.
With the new office, Sozio now offers door-to-door service to any location in South China within on to two days and within a week or less for all other locations throughout China.
Sozio Guangzhou will also be working closely with Sozio’s Creative Center in Hong Kong on new developments, regulatory matters and marketing purposes.
This follows the opening of Sozio’s new factory in Indonesia in November last year.
Untapped opportunities
China is one of Sozio’s key strategic markets in Asia and accounts for over 20% of total sales for the region.
Movsessian noted that it was imperative for the company to keep a close eye on the Chinese market, which can evolve at breakneck speeds.
Currently, the company’s subsidiary in China works with both local and overseas customers.
“We are supplying both nationally and globally creating adapted fragrances based on the market preferences and needs,” said Movsessian.
The company is seeing increasing opportunities in China’s local market, said Movsessian.
“There is indeed a concentration of the main players but at the same time, it is a dynamic market with new players with niche offerings and a higher standard of products,” she said.
Movesessian noted that this trend is being driven by the strong grow of the e-commcerce business in China.
As such, there are companies looking for companies who can work with them on creative and natural products that also comply with the international standards, she said.
“The industry has upgraded their standard with stricter control from local government in terms of environment, pollution, and international standards.”
Movsessian believes topics such as safety, sustainability and transparency will continue to be key areas of focus for companies in China as the industry becomes more impacted by European and American regulatory standards.
Sozio intends to use these opportunities to grow its business in China.
Movsessian revealed that the company plans to reinforce its presence in China by opening a new production facility for the national market in the next two to three years.
“We strive to offer unique and trendy fragrances for different applications – personal care, home fragrance, household products – with a high-quality marketing, technical, regulatory tools.”