The luxury cosmetics industry is getting a slow but steady start in Vietnam, according to Karryn Miller
Vietnam’s cosmetics industry is almost unrecognisable compared to ten years ago – back then, prestigious western beauty products were nowhere to be found on Vietnamese retailers’ shelves.
Fast forward to the present, and Vietnam’s cosmetics industry is scrambling to make up for lost time with retailers and consumers showing increased demand for western luxury cosmetics.
“Years ago, Korean cosmetic brands were dominant among Vietnamese people,” says Arie Sunia, spa manager at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel. “This is because they entered the market a lot sooner than other companies and there were not that many European or American brands.”
Tran Thi Lan Anh from Beiersdorf in Vietnam adds: “In the past, Korean cosmetics became popular when Korean film series were first aired on many Vietnamese television channels. Vietnamese women were obsessed with South Korean beauty and style – the dark brown coloured lips, the white skin, the fashion. However after a while these Korean series became boring and there were no significant new trends [emerging].” At the same time, living standards were starting to improve and Vietnamese people were becoming more open to western styles.
As a result, a steady increase in the popularity of American and European cosmetics has been occurring in Vietnam in the past several years.
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