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Here is a brief overview and data on the cosmetics market in Korea. I point out how best to plan the export of your cosmetics to the country of morning freshness.

If there is interest, I am ready to make a more detailed report on the Korean cosmetics market. And cooperate on the withdrawal of your cosmetics and private trademark to the Korean or Chinese market.

Cosmetics market in Korea:

Korea is considered the 10th cosmetics market in the world. This is about 3% of the global market. What do you agree for such a fairly small country is very good.

In 2016, the cosmetics market in Korea was about US$16 billion. For the past five years, this market has grown by 7% per year.

Import cosmetics to Korea in 2017 was order one and a half billion dollars.

What is most interesting is that the largest importer of cosmetics to Korea is the United States (about 29%). Next comes France, Japan and Italy.

Here, imports mirror the state of affairs in sales of local cosmetics in Korea and cosmetics for export. The main thing is skin care products. Then hair products.

Import sales are mainly done through online sales (33%).

The main indicators of the cosmetics market in Korea:

• Production: about 8 billion USD per year
• Number of manufacturers: about 2300 (in 2016)
• Export: about 2 billion USD per year (to 133 countries)
• Imports: about 1.5 billion per year (from 76 countries)
• Local market to import ratio: 61:39

On average, spending on cosmetics in Korea is considered to be about 32 - 33 USD per month per capita.

Mostly Korean shopper pays more attention to functionality rather than brand (ATTENTION to our exporters!!!)

Major foreign brands in the Korean market: Unilever, L'Oréal, Beiersdorf, MAC, Revlon, Olay, Avon, Boots No 7, Maybelline, Neutrogena

The main sales channels in Korea are currently the following:

• Online shopping
• Purchase on TV channels (such as shops on the couch)

In 2015 - 2016, a study was conducted (more than 3,000 Korean women and men) and found that on average they use about 27 different cosmetic products per month.

There are now three main cosmetics chains in Korea that compete with each other: CJ Olive Young, GS Watsons, and Lotte LOHBs.

Shinsegae plans to join them.

Natural and organic cosmetics are highly valued in Korea. But it is very expensive. Almost all components are imported.

So there's a chance with our natural cosmetics invade the Korean market. Ready to cooperate.

Of course, Korea has its own certification system for cosmetics. It's not easy, but nothing terrible. We know how and what needs to be done correctly in order to obtain all the necessary certificates and licenses for sale in Korea.

Another good news for our exporters is that Korean buyers are very active online from abroad. In 2016 we bought almost for a billion dollars in foreign online stores.

Korean customs has simplified many of the formalities for this kind of purchase.

We are ready to help launch a specialized online store in Russia for sales to Korea (or China).

We can open your representative office in Korea to start promoting your products.

Or open a joint venture to export your products to Korea.

There are many options. Happy New Year 2018.

A business based on the trade of cosmetics from South Korea brings a good, stable income. Quality at the European level and affordable price make this type of goods especially in demand. The most popular cosmetic brands in Korea are:

1. missha.
2. The Face Shop.
3. skin food.
4. beyond.
5. Innisfree.
6. Tony Moly.
7. Hanskin.
8. Etude House.

For the purchase of Korean cosmetics in large and small wholesale, you can contact trusted South Korean companies RICH TRADING CO. or THE BEST CHOICE

Ways to profitably purchase cosmetics in Korea

1. The purchase of cosmetics of popular brands can be made in branded stores that are in every major Korean city. There are especially many of them in Seoul (Gangnam metro station, Myeongdong district, large shopping centers). It is better to buy cosmetics during the 3-day discount period, which are arranged quite often. So you can save 20-50% on the cost. Marketing techniques are often used: “Buy one product, then you will get the second one for free!”. If a private person does not need two identical hair creams or foams at all, then a small business representative is of great help.
2. The second way is bulk purchases from the company. This will take a lot of effort, but it's worth it. Koreans on wholesale well reduce the price. In addition, they draw up all the documents for the export of goods abroad. However, becoming a dealer or distributor of a brand is not easy. To do this, you will need the services of a professional translator who will help draw up an appeal with information about the applicant company for cooperation and will help negotiate if the Korean side is interested in it.
3. There is also a third method. You need to contact an intermediary. Often ads for sale appear on the Internet. There is a risk of fraud here. We recommend using only trusted resources. On our site you can find not only intermediaries, translators, logisticians, but also the companies themselves in order to establish trade on an ongoing basis.
   Delivery from South Korea to Russia

The most popular and cost-effective, in relation to cosmetic products, are Container Shipping. Containers are most often transported using multimodal schemes, which involve a combination of sea and land transport. The container is transported by sea to a Russian port or to a port of neighboring countries, after which it is delivered by car or train to the carrier's warehouse in Russia or to the specified addressee. If the volume of goods is small, use the delivery of groupage cargo. Sending scheme:

Assembling cargo from different suppliers at the consolidation warehouse of a transport company.

Consolidation of several cargoes in one container.

Transportation of cargo to Russia.

Delivery to the carrier's warehouse or to the specified address.

Those who are just starting a cosmetic business with partners from Korea need to remember the peculiarities of Korean cosmetics. In many products, Korean manufacturers add bleaching agents. This is due to the fact that in the view of Koreans, beauties and handsome men are distinguished by snow-white skin. Not all Russians share this idea of ​​beauty, so the purchase of goods should be made taking into account the diversity of the assortment, but not all products should be with bleach.

What is the article about?

One of promising directions, capable of generating a stable income, is a business selling cosmetics and perfumes. Despite the unstable economic situation, in Russia, the number of outlets selling these products is only increasing.

Why should aspiring businessmen pay attention to this niche? The answer is the possibility of starting your own business with minimum investment, and also enough quick payback initial investment. Every person needs cosmetic products on a daily basis, therefore such a product is in high consumer demand, which ensures a quick turnover of funds and a constant profit.

Cosmetics market in Russia today

Aspiring entrepreneurs who want to open a cosmetics store from scratch should be clear about what this business niche is. In recent years, the domestic cosmetics market has begun to acquire colossal proportions: if only 7-10 years ago, the bulk of trade and manufacturing enterprises of this sphere accounted for the capital and metropolitan areas, today there is a significant increase in their number in large and medium-sized settlements.

The target audience purchases not only organic food products, but also cosmetics based on natural ingredients, and in large volumes, so the choice of a niche for business is obvious. It should also be noted that a large number trade enterprises sells its products over the Internet. This fact means that businessmen may not invest in opening real stores at all and not spend money on their maintenance, while receiving a very tangible profit.

Studies in the cosmetics and perfumery market show that over a third of all products sold are low-quality fakes or contraband. Unfortunately, almost all of these goods are sold through online stores, the owners of which deliberately violate consumer rights.

In Russia, there are no specialized units that could fight the illegal circulation of cosmetic (and other) products of dubious origin. Even if law enforcement officers get on the trail of the store owner, they are unlikely to be able to prove his guilt, moreover, most Internet businessmen register sites in other states.

To avoid problems with the law and maintain the company's impeccable reputation, all cosmetics must be certified. It will also allow you to sell it online using search engines Google and Yandex. Permits should confirm not only the high quality of the product, but also testify that it will not harm the health of consumers.

How to open a cosmetics store from scratch?

Let's consider the steps in order.

Business registration

The first step after drawing up a business plan for a cosmetics store is to register your activities. It is best to choose the IP form for this and go through a simple registration procedure at the FTS department.

Important: the entrepreneur needs to decide on the choice of taxation system. For a cosmetics store, UTII would be the best solution, but this format is only suitable for those outlets whose area does not exceed 150 m². If you need to further check your tax debt, you can visit the official website of the Federal Tax Service and get the necessary information.

When registering your company, you need to select the OKVED code. The following are suitable for this:

• 52.33 - " Retail cosmetic and perfumery goods;
• 52.33.1 - "Retail sale of cosmetic and perfumery products, except soap";
• 52.33.2 - "Retail sale of toilet and laundry soap".

After registration, you will need to obtain a number of permits to open and operate your store. To do this, the entrepreneur needs to contact Rospotrebnadzor, the fire inspectorate and the SES. In addition, you need to open a bank account. The cost of registering an individual entrepreneur is 800 rubles. Taking into account the payment of the state duty, the costs will amount to about 2.5 thousand rubles. If you plan to create a large store, it is recommended to register the enterprise as an LLC. In this case, you need to spend 4 thousand rubles for registration and 10 thousand for authorized capital firms. total amount costs will be at least 20 thousand rubles.

Premises selection

The next step in organizing a business is choosing a suitable location for a perfume and cosmetics store. This step is one of the main ones, since the location outlet affects traffic and profit margins. It is necessary to look for premises that are located in places with high traffic of people. The following areas are ideal for a store:

• densely populated residential areas;
• shopping and entertainment centers;
• markets;
• metro stops and public transport;
• the central part of the city.

To successfully sell cosmetics, you need to take care of the proper location of products in the outlet. Most entrepreneurs allow typical mistake, irrationally using the area of ​​the store. If you do not display products around the perimeter, but concentrate them in one place, visitors simply will not pay attention to them, which will affect sales. Therefore, it is worth studying the basic principles of merchandising. It is important to choose a room with high windows so that there is good daylight inside the store and visitors can see the products. A small outlet usually has an area of ​​30-50 m². It is also necessary to provide places for the location:

• sanitary zone;
• office space for staff;
• product warehouse.

A good option would be to locate the store next to a beauty salon or massage parlor. This will allow you to receive daily additional profit on the sale of consumables. The room should have an attractive design and exterior. It is also worth taking care of the presence of a bright signboard with the logo of the organization and outdoor advertising.

If you turn to a professional designer, he will be able to develop a concept for the interior of the store and create comfortable conditions for receiving visitors. Taking into account the repair work and rent, the costs will amount to about 200 thousand rubles.

Purchase of equipment

What should be retail store equipment for a cosmetics and perfume shop? There are no uniform requirements for this item, however, its quantity will directly depend on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe outlet.

To equip a small hall, it is necessary to give preference to racks and showcases of a closed design to minimize the risk of product theft by unscrupulous visitors. An example equipment list would look like this:

• vertical glass showcase - 30 thousand rubles;
• hanging shelves - 30 thousand rubles;
• glass counter (2 pieces) - 40 thousand rubles;
• shelving for a warehouse (5 pcs.) - 20 thousand rubles;
• furniture for staff - 25 thousand rubles;
• cash register - 10 thousand rubles.

Total - for the cost of purchasing equipment will amount to 155 thousand rubles. New businessmen should be aware that cosmetics suppliers are interested in increasing sales and quality distribution. Therefore, most of them provide partners with shelves, display cases and other equipment.

Formation of the assortment

In order for a cosmetics store to bring tangible profits, you need to correctly form an assortment, as well as find suppliers who will offer profitable terms cooperation. How to determine exactly the products that sell best? First of all, you should understand what the target audience of the store will be, to which the assortment will be oriented. It is also worth visiting similar outlets and analyzing their work. You can not save on the purchase of goods and buy uncertified. This will be discovered sooner or later, and the store will suffer heavy losses, since a substantial fine is provided for this offense.

The entrepreneur can choose the products of Russian and foreign manufacturers who are required to submit permits for all goods. First of all, you should pay attention to well-known brands, because buyers know them. At the same time, expensive cosmetics and perfumery, as well as economy segment goods, are in good demand.

We must not forget that the city already has enough competitor stores. For this reason, it is necessary to create a unique selling proposition for buyers. A businessman should try to find a manufacturer of unique products that are poorly represented (ideally, absent) from other sellers. To increase sales in without fail display cases should include products such as body care and personal care products, as well as all kinds of Consumables(manicure accessories, washcloths, toothbrushes, cotton buds and discs, etc.).

Personnel attraction

As a rule, neat girls are attracted to a store selling perfumes and cosmetics as sales assistants. They must know the range of goods well and be able to implement it. To motivate staff, many entrepreneurs set a rate and charge a percentage of sales to employees. Also, the payment can be fixed. Employees should be engaged in laying out products and putting things in order on the shelves.

For a small outlet, it is enough to hire two sellers who will work in shifts. note that most of shops are open daily, so the schedule should be agreed with the staff. To work you will need to hire:

• seller (2 people) - 30 thousand rubles;
• cleaner - 10 thousand rubles;
• administrator - 20 rubles;
• accountant - 15 thousand rubles.

monthly expenses for wages store employees will amount to 75 thousand rubles. The duties of the director and administrator can be performed by the entrepreneur himself. In addition, you can entrust bookkeeping to remote workers, which will reduce costs.

Conducting an advertising campaign

One of the main issues in managing own business is to attract a large number of buyers. In order for people to enjoy visiting the outlet, it is necessary to adhere to a reasonable pricing policy and also have a large product range.

We have already talked about the importance of proper store location. The more potential buyers learn about a new point of sale of cosmetics, the faster it will bring a stable profit. Worth contacting advertising agency and order the distribution of leaflets and flyers in the area of ​​​​the store. It is also necessary to create in social networks thematic communities where subscribers will learn about your activities, upcoming discounts, promotions and assortment updates.

For holding advertising campaign about 20 thousand rubles should be allocated. Buyers among themselves will distribute information about the new store. Availability of discounts for regular customers, sales in pre-holiday days, the ability to pay for goods in cash and using the terminal, free packaging of purchases will attract a lot of people and reach a good level of earnings.

Cosmetics store business plan

To find out the amount of initial investment and possible profit, you need to draw up a business plan for a cosmetics store. In many ways, the costs at the start will depend on the size of the outlet, the number and type of goods, suppliers and other important factors.

Let's calculate the one-time investments required to open a business. They will include:

• business registration - 2.5 thousand rubles;
• design and renovation of the premises - 150 thousand rubles;
• advertising campaign - 20 thousand rubles;
• commercial equipment - 155 thousand rubles;
• purchase of goods - 150 thousand rubles;
• other expenses - 30 thousand rubles.

Total - the amount of initial costs will be 557.5 thousand rubles. It is also necessary to calculate the mandatory monthly expenses. These include:

• rent of premises - 50 thousand rubles;
• utility bills - 15 thousand rubles;
• taxes - 20 thousand rubles;
• employee salary - 75 thousand rubles;
• additional expenses - 15 thousand rubles.

total amount monthly expenses is 175 thousand rubles. How to determine the possible profit of the outlet? It is quite difficult to answer this question, since the margin, depending on the type of product, can vary between 30-90%. If we take the average performance of cosmetics and perfumery stores, then their profitability is about 15-20%. At the same time, the return on investment can be achieved in 12-18 months of work.

Suppose that the revenue for 1 working day will be 10-12 thousand rubles. This means that the store will bring 300-360 thousand rubles for a month of work. From this amount, 175 thousand mandatory payments must be deducted, as a result, the profit will be 125-185 thousand rubles. It is also worth considering that on average, about 40 thousand rubles need to be set aside from earnings to buy goods for the store, so the estimated net income will be 85-145 thousand rubles per month.

How to sell cosmetics online?

Today Global network opens for entrepreneurs unlimited possibilities for doing business. You can successfully sell clothes online, cosmetics famous brands, accessories and any goods consumer goods. What are the benefits of this type of activity? First of all, it should be noted that the costs at the start will be much less.

If you draw up a business plan for an online cosmetics store, you can see that you do not need to pay salaries to employees, make repairs and buy commercial equipment. The main expense item will be the purchase of the site, its promotion using various advertising channels and the payment of taxes. To maintain a store on the Internet, it is enough to register an individual entrepreneur.

As for suppliers - you can consider the option of working on dropshipping. If we briefly describe such a scheme, then the entrepreneur will be required to present a range of products on his website, attract target audience, and the partner company whose products will be sold in the store will pay a certain percentage of each transaction. The businessman also does not need to deliver the goods to the buyers, since the seller assumes these obligations. If you find suppliers and buy cosmetics on your own, you need to carefully study the needs of the target audience.

• contextual ads in search engines;
• targeted advertising;
• e-mail newsletter;
• posts in your own community.

Important: do not forget that word of mouth works on the Web, as in real life, so it is extremely important to provide your customers with only high-quality and certified products.

Korean cosmetics are actively gaining popularity not only in Asian countries, but throughout the world. Korean products stand out from the general mass of European products with their unusual, eye-pleasing packaging. But besides beautiful appearance Korean cosmetics are known for their quality and effectiveness. And this, for the most part, is the merit of the Koreans themselves, who are very picky about her choice, carefully studying the compositions and reviews on the Internet. Due to strong competition and the rigor of buyers, manufacturers constantly have to improve the quality of their products by developing new components and new formats.

Asian consumers are more focused on skincare, spending about four times more on skincare than on color cosmetics.

Koreans believe that the main beauty lies in clean, fresh and healthy skin. At the same time, the main focus is on achieving three effects - clarification skin, anti-aging action And UV protection .

1. There are two major cosmetic competitors in South Korea:

The largest South Korean manufacturer of high quality cosmetics. Their slogan is "Calm and Integrity". Today, the company controls more than half of the country's cosmetics market, making sales of top-class cosmetic products for more than 3 billion dollars a year. The company has 140 patents proving the positive effect on the skin of complexes from 🌱 green tea, 🎍 bamboo and🌺 ginseng. It is these ingredients that were the basis of the cosmetic formulas of their brands.

Both of these concerns have many brands, each of which differs from each other in style, focus and price.

2. Korean brands. Division by topic.

2.1 Herbal/natural/natural cosmetics

Pseudo-ecological cosmetics that use images of nature and plants. Often these brands emphasize plant extracts in the composition and the absence of aggressive synthetic ingredients - such as benzophenone, alcohol, mineral oil, parabens, synthetic colors, synthetic fragrances, animal products. There is a trend towards environmental friendliness in the packaging - the use of unbleached, recycled cardboard, soy ink, beige-brown natural colors.

Usually these are mass market level cosmetics, with a fairly low and medium price range.

Representatives: Innisfree, Nature Republic, The Face Shop, It's Skin, Skin Watchers, Organia, Secret Key

2.2. Dermatological cosmetics/cosmeceuticals.

Pseudo-medical cosmetics using medical themes. Brand stories often emphasize that cosmetics were developed with the participation of dermatologists and cosmetologists. However, dermatological cosmetics is another marketing ploy. But this does not mean that it is not of high quality, it only means that it is not medicine and you should not expect from it greater efficiency than from any other.

The names often use the word "doctor", and the design of the packages has pronounced medical motifs - syringes, droppers, laboratory flasks and beakers, dark glass pharmacy jars and, in general, a strict design reminiscent of medicines.

The price level is often low and medium, less often high.

Representatives: MBSkin, Dr.Jart+, Dr.G, BRTC, Atopalm, Dr.Post, Dr.pharm, Ciracle, Rojukiss

2.3. Cosmetics based on traditional oriental medicinal herbs and ancient recipes (Hanbang).

This cosmetic uses traditional Korean and Chinese medicine medicinal ingredients and formulations taken from ancient medicinal treatises. These are ingredients such as ginseng root, peony root, licorice root, gold, pearls, traditional Asian mushrooms, birch sap, angelica root.

These cosmetics are distinguished by a characteristic oriental design - luxurious, richly decorated packages in yellow-gold, red-burgundy and silver tones, with a lot of gold, specially shaped bottles, the use of Chinese characters in the design and with an imprint of the Chinese red seal. All this is intended to evoke associations with the antiquity and preciousness of the components and recipes used.

Most of these cosmetics belong to the high and very high price category.

The same segment includes fermented cosmetics, which Lately is gaining more and more popularity - these are products based on traditional Asian herbs that have undergone a fermentation process.

Representatives: The History of Whoo, Sulwhasoo, Sooryehan, Danahan, Saimdang, Сoreana (Brands such as Su:m37, Hyosiah, IllI, which use the hanbang concept, but rely on modern forms in design, stand somewhat apart here).

Cosmetics, relying on the latest developments, innovations and biotechnologies in the field of cosmetology and biochemistry. Brands use advanced ingredients and formulas such as retinol, peptides, various cellular technologies, capsule forms of active ingredients.

The packaging of these products is distinguished by modernity, manufacturability and concise design - white color, silvery shiny surfaces, translucency.

The products of these brands are in the high price segment.

Representatives : Iope, O HUI, Hera, IPKN, Isa Knox

2.5. General purpose brands similar to European and major global cosmetics brands.

They have a universally neutral and at the same time elegant packaging, which differs little in style from major European brands. At the same time, within the brand, there may be separate product lines that meet one of the above trends - for example, plant-natural or traditional-oriental, in order to cover the largest possible segment of customers. The price level is very different - from the average to the luxury segment.

Representatives: Missha, Enprani, ElishaCoy, Skin79, The Saem, Hanskin, VOV, Amorepacific

3. Korean brands. Separation by price category.

3.1. MassMarket

These are cosmetic brands at a reasonable price, with competent compositions and beautifully packaged. The Korean cosmetic mass market is represented by many lines that satisfy the most diverse needs of customers. Thanks to the famous products of the Korean mass market, the Russian-speaking public gets acquainted with the cosmetic market of South Korea. ()

• is a skincare brand that actively promotes products based on .
• - a lot of series of care and makeup in a package that is sure to cheer you up.
• missha— Inexpensive luxury cosmetics for skin care.
• A'Pieu- A sister brand of Missha, ideal for young skin.
• The Saem- inexpensive natural cosmetics ,
• It's Skin— cosmetics for creating and maintaining perfect skin. The first among Koreans to use snail mucin in the recipe, the cream they created is still considered by buyers.
• Holika Hoilka- Witch potions, magical themes, black cats and beauty spells. A teenage brand for fans of fantasy fairy tales.
• skin food- all product lines of this brand are based on edible ingredients, and evoke associations with delicious food- fresh fruit, milk, caviar, herbs, eggs, chocolate, delicacy salmon and even brandy and beer.
• Nature Republic– The brand policy is the use of exclusively natural sources and natural raw materials, coupled with the latest modern technologies.
• Skin 79– famous for its BB creams and luxurious overnight masks
• Banila co.- a company that produces make-up products.
• CosRX- the brand is focused on eliminating skin problems, as well as on their prevention.
• A.H.C.- care products from this brand give a pronounced aesthetic effect.
• Dr.Jart+— dermatological cosmetics;
• Secret key, etc.

• Innisfree- a natural brand using raw materials and minerals from the eco-oasis of Jeju Island;
• Etude House- all products are created in the style of a princess. A brand for teenagers and young women who feel like girls at heart;
• happy bath- the products contain complexes of natural ingredients and plants for body skin care;
• mamonde– comprehensive care for the beauty and health of the skin, youth care cosmetics;
• Aritaum is the pharmacy brand of the corporation.

3.2. Medium premium

The composition of cosmetics of the middle price category includes more expensive natural ingredients, and the concentration of active substances is higher than in the budget, so the effectiveness of such cosmetics is also higher.

• Hannule- middle-class cosmetics in the tradition of oriental medicine, cheaper than Sulwhasoo, but some products can cost more than $100;
• HYOSIAH-cosmetics based on enzymes;
• MIREPA And ODYSSEY— men's skin care brands;
• LANEIGE— the most famous corporate brand in Southeast Asia;
• Annick Goutal, Lolita Lempika, eSpoir— Western perfume brands bought by the corporation;
• Verite And Primera- natural rulers;
• mise en scene- western style hair care;
• Ryeol– hair care in the traditions of oriental medicine (herbal care);
• IOPE— a western-styled brand that combines plant stem cells, plant extracts, retinols, etc.;
• Lirikos- premium care using marine ingredients.

• Belif— natural skin care at a reasonable price;
• beyond— natural line LG;
• MULE- a line created in collaboration with the famous makeup artist Jung Saem Mool;
• Isa Knox- Western-style skin care, cheaper than OHUI;
• Sooryehan- cheaper than History Of Whoo, comparable to Haneul (AmorePacific);
• Mirepa And Vonin- series for men's skin care.

3.3. Premium

These brands can compete with any of the Western top brands in every way. Most often, these are brands that pay special attention to the care of aging skin, follow the traditions of oriental medicine or use cutting-edge ingredients and formulas. If the budget allows you, then these are the funds that are really worth spending on ().

• - a brand where west meets east, includes both western and eastern philosophy;
• Sulwhasoo- a line oriented to the East - Asian - market, is a care cosmetics created according to the treatises of traditional oriental medicine. It is South Korea's best-selling cosmetics brand;
• HERA- premium brand in western style;
• VB Program is a dietary supplement brand.

• The History Of Whoo— skin care in the traditions of oriental (oriental) medicine, a competitor of Sulwhasoo;
• Su:m37— Enzyme-based cosmetics, a huge success for LG;
• OHUI Western-style skin care, focusing on high-tech ingredients such as stem cells, etc.

4. Where to buy Korean cosmetics.

In fact, there is no problem with buying Korean cosmetics. The network has a lot of online stores for its sale.

Most large online stores in Russia are official representatives of a particular brand. They write about this on their websites and even post certificates confirming this. In this case, you can not worry about the quality of the products they sell. To find Russian online stores on the network, just type in a search engine a query - “Buy Korean cosmetics”.

If you want to save money, then you can buy Korean cosmetics on foreign sites. Their prices for products are significantly lower, but delivery, taking into account the dollar exchange rate, is expensive. Therefore, if you need one or two products, then of course it is more profitable to buy in Russia, and if you, together with your girlfriends, have chosen several kilograms of Korean cosmetics (practice shows that this is not so difficult), feel free to order directly from Korea.

The most popular stores that inspire confidence are, for example, Gmarket, KoreaDepart and TesterKorea.

Also, you can buy cosmetics from us, in more detail.

Text by Victoria Tsarenkova

Photo by Inna Ptitsyna

This story is full of entrepreneurial experience with all kinds of failures, setbacks and debts. But at the same time - the ability to analyze and learn not only from their own mistakes, but also with the help of other people's knowledge. Alena Aleshkova is a student of the course "The Path of Dreams", who was able to overcome the fear of disappointment and launch new project.

Alena Aleshkova

"KOKOS": about the project

"KOKOS" - stores of original certified Korean cosmetics in Kaliningrad.

The project started in 2016 with a small shelving unit in the basement of a mall. Now we have 2 offline stores in Kaliningrad and an online store. The plans are to go beyond the boundaries of one city.

We purchase the entire range from major dealers in Russia. When choosing which product to bring to the store, we read hundreds of reviews - our customers, bloggers and people who use Korean cosmetics. We have about 1,500 items of various Korean products.

The first business turned into a bunch of problems and almost ended in the collapse of friendship

For a year and a half, each of us earned about 5,000 rubles a month

The first problem is the lack of knowledge

Everything somehow did not add up. We had no knowledge of how to run a business, no understanding of how to attract customers. I tried to read something on the Internet, but there were few materials.

The production was outsourced to another agency, which made the whole process always slow. Their manager first processed the application and only then transferred it to production. IN best case Our order was ready within a day. I still had to call and find out if the product was ready. Then go and pick her up. If they did with the marriage, this cycle would repeat itself again.

I did the product design myself, and it was very lame for us, but we could not afford a cool specialist - we saved money. We generally found our first clients in a partisan way - we spammed people on VKontakte. But since we couldn't offer service High Quality, then the check for our services was very low. Because of this, there was no profit. For a year and a half, each of us earned about 5,000 rubles a month. It was hard, but we ourselves are to blame.

Problem two - friendship intervened

There was no money in the business. And against this background, problems began with a friend as a partner. The fact is that we did not discuss “on the shore” who is responsible for what. We thought that everything would work out anyway - we are such cool girlfriends.

But here our friendship only added fire to the fire of problems. After all, you know the closest people with all their shortcomings. It turned out that in business it is precisely the shortcomings that are most acutely felt. It can be compared to hiking in the mountains. I was told that when climbing, for example, Elbrus, all the sores of the body become aggravated and even something that you did not suspect could come out. Same in business.

We started arguing a lot. And this ultimately led to the fact that after a year and a half we parted ways as partners. And in fact, "as friends" - too. Although we discussed that everything was fine, we continued to communicate, but there was a lot of aggression, quarrels broke out over trifles. As a result, mutual acquaintances forced us to talk to each other. That conversation went on for several hours. School grievances and everything that dragged on for years came out. But, fortunately, we expressed everything, found out and still communicate very well.

Employees persuaded me not to close the project: they said they were ready to sit without a salary

Cool clients appeared who brought us high income. But there were few of them, and it was no longer possible to attract them - then there was not enough knowledge and strength for this. We had a bunch of small orders, and they took almost all the time and effort. So, on business cards, we earned 200 rubles for a minimum batch of 100 pieces. Despite the fact that the work here is a full cycle: discuss with the customer, agree on it, send the order to the printing house, as soon as it is printed, go and pick it up. Average check ended up being tiny. There wasn't enough money. You have to pay wages and rent. I also barely had enough for life - only for the bare necessities.

“That’s it, I can’t, we’ll close it,” I announced to the girls a year and a half later. They then persuaded me not to close. They said that we work so well, they like everything and that they are even ready to sit without a salary, that is, in debt. And we worked like that for another two or three months, closed in 2016.

I subconsciously did not want to earn. And hence the total lack of money: I did what I like, but the money did not go

Motivation "OT" - get away from poverty

It was hard for me to let go of this failure. I believed in this cause and was devoted to it for four years, but in the end I could not. Complete failure, I thought to myself. In addition, the project left me with a bunch of debts - about 200,000 rubles, which I still pay. From all this, I was seriously visited by thoughts of getting a regular job for the rest of my life.

But I can't do that. When I first started this business, I had a desire to achieve freedom and do something of my own. Now I realize: I need to do something, unite people around me, expand the boundaries of my projects, come up with something new and put it into practice. This is my essence, which cannot be taken away. Therefore, I did not go to a hired job, just to have money for a living. And began to analyze.

Money all my life was not a priority for me, I did not like them. At the same time, I wanted to buy something expensive for myself, to travel. Such a clumsy contradiction sat in me. And suddenly it lit up! Remember, in fairy tales, poor people were good fellows, and rich people were despots and petty tyrants. Brought up on such promises, I subconsciously did not want to earn money. And this total lack of money grew from here: I did what I liked, but the money did not go.

Gradually, my poles changed in this regard. I read the blogs of successful people. They said that you can earn with your brains and abilities. I learned about success stories: how people themselves created wealth. And I began to understand that there is nothing wrong with wealth. If you are talented, smart, able to develop and strive for something, then you can achieve a comfortable standard of living for yourself. But if you are lazy, apathetic, then most likely you will live poorly.

I don't mean to say that poor people are bad. Many of them are good and wonderful. And I can say to myself that I am still poor: I still like to buy goods on sale in stores. But I saw that rich people are much more relaxed about everything, more eager to improve themselves, to help others.

This motivation “out of poverty” pushed me forward. I am a confident person. Maybe even a little arrogant at times. And when I see what others can do, then I must do it too.

We spent a lot of time on small orders, but we had to give up everything superfluous

What my first business failure taught me

First of all, I understood what partnership means in business. How important it is to agree in advance who will have what role, who will be responsible for what, to discuss the personal goals of each. Goals should be common, and not when one is “burning” with work, and the second has other interests.

Also, the issue of trust in partnership is the most important. Perhaps here he stands as sharply as in a relationship with his man. Both of you must be both honest and completely trust each other, not to get into someone else's area of ​​responsibility. Without this, nothing will work in business.

You also need to build the right business model. Otherwise, everything in the project will suffer. I learned this later when I went to study on the course "Way of Dreams". This was our mistake - we worked with very small orders, and spent a lot of time on them. And it was necessary to refuse them and everything superfluous.

And I was too inexperienced to run a business. I wanted to build something serious, but there was no knowledge of how to do it. It was not possible to do well and efficiently. Couldn't manage. Some little things could easily unsettle me. Although I analyzed the problems, tried to come up with something - it didn’t really work.

How did I see the new project

I started thinking about what my next project would be. I took this matter very seriously.

• Firstly, I decided to launch a retail business, because I thought that it was easier to implement marketing chips in retail.

• Secondly, it is important for me to build long-term relationships with customers. To be so cool that a person buys once in my store and begins to come here again and again. Therefore, I immediately focused on products that are in regular demand.

• Thirdly, I also wanted to sell goods for women. Men are more practical, it is harder to hook them with their actions. And in social networks, they do not leave emotional reviews. And it's nice to work with women in this regard. Looking ahead, I’ll say that today girls constantly write to us that they are delighted with us. Many people say that they buy cosmetics only in our store.

• Fourthly, there was a desire to sell a quality product of the middle price segment. Before that, I worked with people who have very little money. Faced with the fact that they are nervous, it is difficult to part with money, they worry about every ruble. This was hard. So now I wanted to work with more affluent clients who were willing to buy such a product.

At that time, Korean cosmetics were in trend, and I paid attention to it and began to study it. cosmetic market V South Korea innovative, rapidly developing. There is a lot of quality control, because the Korean public is very biased. Even men take care of themselves. And if a company releases a bad cream, it immediately leaves the shelves and never comes back. I myself used two tools, and they helped me a lot. That's why I realized: the things are really cool - you can carry them.

The first store is a gloomy and impassable place. I tried to hire salespeople but they didn't last

Starting investment in a new project. point opening

In 2016, I opened a small point in a shopping center. It looked like this: a glazed rack with cosmetics on the ground floor, dim light and gray walls around, and there were practically no people. With the opening of a second business, my mother again helped me - she gave 150,000 rubles. We agreed that in return for this, she would be able not to work for 2 years, to be at home under my care.

I invested 100,000 rubles in the first purchase of cosmetics. In general, this is very little. Now we have 15 sq. meters, the commodity balance just for “survival” should be 500,000 rubles (in the purchase price), and then these will be half-empty shelves. I bought a rack for Avito for 50,000 rubles, paid 2 months of rent and very small expenses - for the Internet, lighting in the rack. Without lighting, the rack did not look functional, the “basement” light did not allow to see the goods.

I developed my account in Instagram and the group in In contact with". It was through these channels that it was mainly possible to attract buyers.

At this point I worked whole year. It was hard. And the place itself is gloomy and impassable. She worked practically without days off. I tried to hire sellers, but they did not stay. The revenue was small - on average, about 3,000 rubles a day.

The main mistakes at the start

And here it was not possible to avoid mistakes. I did not analyze the market and made the first purchase as an ordinary girl - on emotions. I just liked one site - everything is in beautiful jars, and I ordered this cosmetics. It turned out that the brand is expensive for Russia. Yes, and it appeared recently, it has not proven itself yet. As a result, this product was sold poorly and for a long time.

Then I bought cosmetics already from well-known brands. But here I made a mistake again: I didn’t analyze the assortment - what people buy more often and more willingly, but chose what I liked myself. As a result, I ordered a lot of goods that took up space on the shelves for a long time.

Our favorite men at night collected racks for cosmetics

The right decision: moving and a new partner

I thought about moving to a “normal place”. Girls who buy expensive products want to enjoy the whole process: come to a cozy place, see, try, hold in their hands. And I had jars and tubes standing in a rack behind glass. I had to get it and show it. Agree, this creates a certain tension for the buyer.

A a good place in another shopping center, so that it’s comfortable and the traffic is high, it was expensive in the city, I can’t pull it. Moreover, the rent must be paid immediately for two months.

The question arose: how to find money to open a store. And then I made one of the most significant decisions - to team up with a person who is interested in related topics. I had a friend Polina. We saw each other once a year at the birthday party of a mutual friend. And every time she told me that she wanted to do something of her own. We met again at the end of January 2017. I told her: "I want to open a store." And she offered to join forces. Polina liked this idea. She said she had savings.

Throughout February, we discussed conditions and plans. I was looking for a place. Only in March we agreed with shopping mall. I immediately terminated the contract with the landlord, from whom I rented a place in the basement. We moved to a new place very quickly, literally in a week. Our favorite men at night collected racks for cosmetics, although both had to leave for work early in the morning.

And in April 2017, Polina and I opened our first joint store, paying rent for two. In general, the opening (without inventory) cost less than 100,000 rubles. Since all the commercial equipment was made by our men, it cost 3 times cheaper market value. On rent, they agreed to postpone the "security" payment for a couple of weeks in advance. By the way, today, for the opening, for example, of a third store (without inventory), it will take us already in the region of 250,000 - 300,000 rubles.

How we rolled out "COCONUT" into the world

Initially, we had a test drive of a joint business. Polina entered the business with an investment of about 100,000 - 150,000 rubles. Part went to pay rent, part went to buy her share of cosmetics. We agreed that we would purchase the assortment separately, each for itself. There will be just a common cash desk, and we will take turns working as sellers. With Polina, I shared the contacts of Korean cosmetics suppliers, and we started.

From April to September 2017, we worked like this. I also developed the store's accounts on Instagram and VKontakte. And Polina showed a gift for purchases. She assesses demand better than me and, as a result, more accurately selects the assortment. And I suggested uniting completely in order to enhance the effect.

We have distributed all responsibilities inside and out. I am responsible for marketing, promotion, personnel management. Polina is engaged in purchases, search for suppliers, communication with them and everything related to goods - placement on the shelf, price tags.

And we also set ourselves a salary. I just read in the book “Business as a Game” from the guys from MosGry that it’s possible to live on a salary, and invest everything else in business.

And then we had all the money mixed up before that. It turned out - you either infringe on yourself in life, or in business. Now our net profit is completely spent in development, in expanding the range, opening stores and purchasing equipment for them.

They began to consult with each other on controversial situations. In general, we have no disagreements. There are disputes - how to do better, but we always come to a consensus.

We thought for a long time what to name the project. I wanted something Russian, simple, memorable. And at the same time associated with Korean cosmetics. It has a lot of natural ingredients and we wanted to bring that into the name. And then once again - coconut! Here is another cool play on words: "COCONUT" - Korean COSMETICS.

When Polina and I decided to fully unite, I saw that we had launched the sale of the Dream Path course. And for about a year I have been reading the Womenbz portal and following its founder, Galiya Berdnikova. I dreamed of getting into the Life.Business.Success course, but I had no money.

And then I see: "The Way of Dreams" has become an extended version of the course "Life. Business. Success." And the price is still the lowest - the start of sales, installments for 3 months. There was still no money, but I got out as best I could. Even asked to make the first payment not in fixed time and 2 days later. I was allowed, for which I am very grateful.

During this period, everything grew together so well in time that our "COCONUT" began to grow.

Let's try it ourselves first. We all have different skin types, and we can evaluate the product from different angles.

The challenge is to stay ahead of the competition

An important decision that we made during my training: by all means to be ahead of competitors - cosmetics sellers. And for this we need the best assortment, and we need to present it in the store so that the buyer understands what and why.

We have greatly expanded the assortment and put new racks in the store. By the way, when we choose a product to order, we do a tremendous job of finding the right one. Read reviews from our bloggers. We look and analyze which brands in Russia are already popular and often mentioned. Most often we order samplers, if they are available. First, we try it ourselves - me, Polina, the sellers. We all have different skin types, and we can evaluate the product from different angles. And if everyone does not like it, we will no longer take this product.

On the price tags, we wrote a mini-instruction for each product. The idea is that a person can come and choose for himself. Many buyers do not want to communicate with a consultant. Someone does not want to take tubes and jars from the shelves. And all the information in Russian is indicated on reverse side packaging. Some other brands write in detail and clearly, while others are general phrases, so it’s not really clear what kind of tool it is.

Our price tags look something like this: "face cream with a snail, suitable for oily and combination skin", and below - "smoothes wrinkles, removes pigmentation, heals acne."

Polina and I read hundreds of reviews on the Internet for each product. took feedback from our customers for each product. It turned out that the translation on the label does not always correspond to how the product behaves on human skin. Often on the label they write - "suitable for all skin types." At the same time, the reviews show that this product is not suitable for people with dry skin, they complain.

The fact is that manufacturers write the compositions and the main components of the funds, but their effect depends on the ratio of the components added to the composition. In addition, the skin of Koreans is different from ours - it is more dense and elastic. Hence there may be some inconsistencies between the description and the result. This is all we identified and indicated on the price tags real information.

Clients write to us: "What an honest Instagram you have"

We do not just sell - we carefully advise

As I already said, I wanted to build a business where I would build long-term and pleasant relationships with clients as with friends. In the instructions for sellers, in the first paragraph, it is written: “The client is a friend, and you should not advise him what you would not advise a friend, just to sell at a higher price.”

There is a wonderful book - "Korean Beauty Secrets" by Charlotte Cho. It tells about all the intricacies of care adopted in Korea, it is in our stores, and sellers regularly use it in their work. We also sell this book - it is not only informative, but also interesting, autobiographical.

In general, Koreans have a rather complicated care system - it can have from 5 to 10 steps. We try to present this information in an accessible way and not to scare buyers. We explain that the main thing for us is to cleanse the skin, prepare it with a tonic for applying the cream and then spread it with cream. Everything else is extra. It already depends on the needs of the client. We select a mask for the night, a remedy for the skin around the eyes or under the main cream when there are problems.

We also started writing on Instagram about the care and features of products: not only their pluses, but also minuses, if we know about them. Many clients wrote: “What an honest Instagram you have.”

Gifts to clients and other promotions

We have a feature - we give gifts to regular customers. We have a ladder of success hanging in our stores. These are stepped shelves: on the first - a gift with a purchase of 500 rubles, then - from 1000 rubles, and so on up to 5000 rubles. The gifts are good. First up is a sheet mask. And when buying for 5,000, we give funds that retail at 1,500 rubles. We buy them from the supplier by shares. But the person is happy.

Another such approach increases the check. Our consultants say: "100 rubles is not enough for you to get a better gift." And a person can score not 100, but 500 rubles. This also happens.

Also, various actions began to be practiced. The offer worked well for us for two months - a 30% discount on the third product in the check. Buyers almost always take the third remedy. We also have a promotion: buy face cream - get a 30% discount on tonic. This leads the person to use the full set of care. For us, this is important not only because of sales, but also for the buyer to feel the changes in better side.

For people who are afraid to try something, we offer funds for 100-200 rubles. These are miniatures of products or masks. They are just for a few applications to understand whether the remedy is suitable or not. Sometimes we give samples when we see that a person is interested.

Earn 30,000 rubles per week

There was an assignment in the Dream Path course that really excited me. It's called "From words to deeds", but in my mind I christened it "Make money or die." Its essence is to earn 30,000 rubles in a week. Challenge yourself and accomplish.

At first I thought about what to do. Then I decided that it was possible to test our unique selling proposition. In other words, the “COCONUT” chip, because of which buyers trust us. We understand all the subtleties so carefully and in detail, we analyze many points that we can confidently position ourselves as professionals in the selection of Korean cosmetics.

I wrote a post on Instagram: “Leave a request for the selection of a full-fledged Korean care for this winter. I will try to offer 3 options in 3 price categories in 3 hours! Then we will discuss - it will be possible to change something and choose your ideal set of Korean products.

There were about 30 applications. I went through each one in detail and answered all of them. As a result, we earned 27 thousand in two or three days. People ordered a consultation, and then they came to the store and told the sellers what exactly they needed. Someone ordered delivery. Since then, we have been constantly writing on social networks that we advise.

We made a widget in VKontakte. A person enters our group and immediately sees a post offering a free consultation.

He presses the button "I want a consultation!" - and immediately a message box opens with the text: "Hello) If you have questions - write to us."

Previously, we were simply asked whether there is a product or not, or which is better. And now they ask to choose care depending on the skin or if there is a problem of some kind.

How do we deal with negativity?

I think we work well with negativity. Cases are different.

• So, one girl bought a mega-popular "grout" for pores. It costs 1300 rubles, that is, not a little. And for some it works great. And she posted a post that this is a terrible thing that they sell in our store. I wrote to her: “It’s a pity that it didn’t suit you. There are really controversial reviews on it. ” It turned out that the girl bought without consultation. We just talked to her, and that was enough. Later, she even asked us for advice on care.

• Another girl bought a brightening face cream, which is often used in Korea. He instantly whitens his face, but the girl emphasized all the peeling on her face. She writes: “Nightmare! The consultant advised me. I asked for the coolest." And we just did the testers. I answered her: “It’s a pity that it didn’t suit you. The cream is good. But we just need a tester for it. If you want, we will exchange it for another cream that suits you better. The girl wrote: “Thank you, I will not change anything. I'm just glad you answered me like that."

• Recently, a girl writes to me on Instagram: “I bought a serum with vitamin C from you, and my whole skin burns from it. I want to use it and don't know what to do." I asked her if she had sensitive skin. It turned out that the girl did not tell the consultant about it. Then I asked what resources she still had. After her answer, she suggested: “Let's not use this serum and another wash for at least two or three weeks - it is also aggressive. Most likely, your skin is still recovering after the winter. Then slowly start using these tools in turn.

We hire staff from our subscribers

We hired the first sellers from the immediate environment. Polina's mother and my best friend, who was my partner in the first business, work for us. She is the best consultant we have, her daily earnings are the largest. We even joke that she does some kind of shamanism or secret mailing in her shifts. That's how interesting life can turn. And Polina's mother is an accountant by education, and we recently handed over all our accounting pieces to her.

Although we are doing well, I do not advise hiring people from the immediate environment. Relatives and friends may take such work lightly, there is no subordination. Disagreements may still arise, and relations will deteriorate.

When we opened the second store, we hired employees through our social networks. Fortunately, we now have 11,000 followers on Instagram. It is worth posting an ad, a lot of resumes come at once - wonderful girls who buy cosmetics from us and love our store. It is important for us that the seller is imbued with our values, knows how to take care of himself, loves our store, and not just come to work.

Polina and I try to keep the team charged, striving to work and develop. Just before March 8, we expanded the team and invited everyone to the sushi bar. We talked, got to know each other, and Polina and I presented everyone with massage certificates.

We also have a general chat on VKontakte. We write there about problems - someone inadequate came and spoiled the mood. Or the girls brag - "I sold it to one person for 8000." From this, its own atmosphere is formed, everyone becomes closer.

Hiring an assistant and how it solved our problems

On the Dream Path course, several lessons in a row had the same thought: Hire an assistant so you don't bury yourself in a routine. But Polina did not agree for a long time - the day before we took out a loan to significantly increase the range of goods.

I argued to her: “If we hire an assistant, you won’t make price tags for days, stand in traffic jams for two hours to pick up our huge orders. Development suffers greatly from this. And there is no personal time left. As a result, Polina agreed, and we hired an assistant.

It was very timely. Polina just left for the mountains for 3 weeks, and at that time we found trading area. It was necessary to urgently open a second store. And take it to another level. As a result, he turned out to be much prettier than the first. But I couldn't have done it without an assistant. I already worked for two weeks for 12-13 hours without days off. Plus, I was constantly in touch with Polina, and these chats on the phone and the Internet also take a lot of time.

I allowed myself to earn more, not be ashamed of it and at the same time respect my man

Harmony and balance in life

In general, traveling gives me energy. When there is no opportunity, you just need to go to nature with my man, walk the dog. Or watch a movie or read a book. Helps to unwind when we ride on his motorcycle with a loved one. I can order a SPA for two in a hotel just to relax. Before, I could not afford such a relaxing holiday.

In "Way of Dreams" was very good lesson about relationships. There Galiya talked about her personal relationships. This topic has always interested me. And what Galiya told me helped me reconsider my views.

She wrote that she earns much more than her man. At the same time, he provides her and all the needs for food and housing. And she has her own whims, and she spends on them - travel, a chic apartment. Yet the man remains a man.

I have a similar situation. I am already developing in business, and my man is just starting his journey. There are financial difficulties. Previously, I could also offer to pay for the rest somewhere, but I was uncomfortable, and I could not present it this way. And now everything is in harmony. I allowed myself to earn more, not be ashamed of it and at the same time respect my man.

It used to be: "as if I can no longer find where to spend the money." And now you do what is more comfortable, and not what is cheaper

It was on the “Way of Dreams” that everything fell apart for me. Performing tasks step by step, you understand what and why is happening in your business. You start to see how it should be. Understand your values ​​and make the right decisions. For example, we decided that we would never sell fakes - analogues of well-known brands, although there was such an opportunity that would bring good money due to the markup. But these are not our values. Money is important to us, but the benefits that our business brings to people are also important. The Dream Path helped build a strong foundation and self-confidence.

All new knowledge was reflected in monetary indicators in the most remarkable way. You have no idea how cool it is to feel like you're taking a taxi instead of a bus just because it's more convenient. And you park in paid parking lots, instead of trying to find a free space in free parking lots in the middle of the day. It seems to be trifles, but earlier for me it was from the series “as if I can no longer find where to spend money.” And now you do it the way it is more comfortable, and not the way it is cheaper.

I don't know when we will stop the development of "KOKOS". Polina too big workaholic and with the same principles. When we started, I had a little more experience in everything. Now we are almost on the same level in this regard. And it is very comfortable to work when you and your partner are at the same level of development and you have common goals.