Elixir adds fresh glow to Shiseido Travel Retail
The Elixir skincare brand made its debut in travel retail with King Power International at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport in March
Shiseido Travel Retail has expanded its travel retail portfolio with the introduction of skincare brand Elixir, Japan’s number one skincare brand for 12 consecutive years.
Elixir’s anti-ageing skincare products strive to endow users with tsuyadama, which is the natural glow on the cheeks as a result of firm and transparent skin.
Elixir is positioned as an innovative introduction to entry-prestige skincare, and is distinguished by Shiseido’s extensive anti-ageing and collagen research for maintaining skin firmness and transparency.
The brand made its debut in travel retail with King Power International at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport on March 16, 2019.
Since relaunching in China’s domestic market in 2017, Elixir has flourished. In 2018, the brand experienced 59% growth compared to the previous year.
Its growth in e-commerce is also described as very promising, with 343% growth compared to 2017.
Leveraging the Chinese travel boom and Elixir’s success in the Chinese domestic market, Suvarnabhumi Airport was the natural choice for the brand’s launch in the channel, Shiseido Travel Retail said.
Thailand is the top country visited by Chinese travelers outside of China, while Suvarnabhumi Airport is the demographic’s second most visited airport.
Throughout 2019 and beyond, Elixir will increase its presence in the Asia Pacific travel retail channel by expanding in China and Korea.
Philippe Lesné, President and CEO of Shiseido Travel Retail, said: “We are delighted to bring Elixir into our travel retail portfolio. The brand has enjoyed incredible success in Asian domestic markets, and we are now happy to present it to dynamic traveling consumers.
“At Shiseido Travel Retail, we are dedicated to driving category growth through innovation. We’ve seen a rising demand for luxury skincare products in travel retail and we believe that Elixir is well positioned to fuel further growth through prestige anti-ageing products, at an accessible price point. There is major potential in the channel for this segment, so it’s an exciting step forward for us.
“Bangkok will be a great start, and we look forward to rolling the brand out to more markets in the coming months.”
Susan Whelan, Senior Executive Vice President of King Power International, added: “We are excited to collaborate with Shiseido Travel Retail to debut the Elixir brand in travel retail. We have a strong partnership with Shiseido Travel Retail and are very pleased to have this opportunity to introduce a new brand into the entry-prestige skincare category. We look forward to working with the Shiseido team to help Elixir achieve the same success in travel retail as it has in domestic markets.”
Best-selling products
Elixir’s best-sellers include its Day Care Revolution, a protector with a high UV-ray protection of SPF50+ and long-lasting moisturizing effects; Sleeping Gel Pack, a gel mask used before sleep to heal the skin from damage caused during the day and to restore skin with lifting moisture and suppleness the next day; Booster Essence, a bubble essence which is the first step of the skincare regime, revitalizing the skin and boosting the penetration of subsequent skincare products; and Wrinkle Cream, a retinol-formulated cream which has proven efficacy in reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
These best-sellers are also number one products in their respective categories in Japan. The Wrinkle Cream ranks number one in the anti-wrinkle skincare category and the Sleeping Gel Pack ranks number one in the non-sheet mask category in the country.
In China, the Wrinkle Cream has proved particularly popular among Chinese consumers, according to Shiseido Travel Retail.
When it was launched in April 2018 on Tmall, the popular Chinese online shopping website, the product became the site’s top-selling eye cream within the same month.
Elixir’s counters in travel retail will feature a product testing bar and interactions with beauty advisors, who will provide product explanations and recommendations.
The elegant, gold-hued counters will also have best-selling items prominently displayed, and include moving visuals, product testers and gwps.
