Global cosmetics brands eye Shanghai's valley of beauty
Over 160 industry leaders of world famous cosmetics brands attended a top level international cosmetics conference in Shanghai on Saturday to help boost the city's health and beauty industry.
The Oriental Beauty Valley International Cosmetics Conference, with the theme of “a better life empowered by beauty,” was held within the city’s Oriental Beauty Valley in Fengxian District.
Company representatives from 14 countries and regions, as well as government officials, shared knowledge on the latest policies, technologies and industry trends of the global cosmetics industry.
"I'm glad to see that Shanghai has been part of the international cosmetics industry chain," said Arnault Garcia, president of the French Alliance of Designers.
The business district in Fengxian, known as Oriental Beauty Valley, is the first of its kind in Shanghai. It includes a 20-square-kilometer industrial park which will serve as the headquarters of domestic and international companies. The valley aims to be on par with France’s Cosmetic Valley in Eure-et-Loir and Loiret, and Japan’s Saito Life Science Park in northern Osaka.
It has already drawn a number of cosmetics companies from home and abroad who generate over 40 percent of the total output value of the city's cosmetics industry. They include well-known global brands such as Nu Skin from the US and South Korea’s Cosmax, as well as local brands such as Pechoin and Jala.
"We see that there will be a lot of potential, not only just from the marketing side, but also manufacturing and innovation," said Danai Derojanawong, president of Thai cosmetics giant Better Way.
The conference aims to not only help drive Chinese cosmetics brands to develop abroad, but also to showcase China's cosmetics industry to the world's top cosmetics researchers, designers, and manufacturers, according to the district government. The conference will be held annually in the district.
"We are continuing to invest a significant amount of money into Fengxian, especially on the brand-new personal care facility," Steven Hatchett, senior vice president of supply chain and manufacturing of Nu Skin Group said.
Hatchett said the US firm has developed a site in Fengxian covering 42,000 square meters, which includes an innovation center, manufacturing facility and warehouse.
The district government expects the value of cosmetic and health products manufactured in the valley to reach 50 billion yuan (US$7.2 billion) in 2020 and 100 billion yuan by 2025.
The beauty valley will not only become an incubator for Chinese cosmetics brands to enter the global market, but also the top choice for international cosmetics brands to enter the Chinese market, Zhuang Mudi, Party secretary of Fengxian, said.