If you’re an Amazon seller, dropshipper, beauty retailer or even completely new to selling, private label cosmetics could offer a way of developing your own skincare brand. In this article we’ll explore how an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) strategy can help you with fast market entry with your own beauty label by partnering with an already established manufacturer.
What Are Private Label Cosmetics?
Private label cosmetics are beauty products that are already formulated and manufactured by a third-party company and then sold under another brand. Design, packaging, and branding are all customized by the reseller, often with the help of the manufacturer.
You, the business owner, can focus on branding, marketing, and sales without investing time and money in product development. The private label manufacturers will already have done the lab work for you. High-quality private label manufacturers invest heavily in product development, manufacturing technology and audience research in order to satisfy consumer needs and meet their resellers’ expectations.
Why You Should Use Them For Your Business
As you can see, private labeling offers numerous benefits, whether you are a retail business looking to diversify its product offering or a startup just exploring business ideas. Out of all of the pros, saving time is probably up there as one of the most critical ones. Expert manufacturers can severely cut down on the process of making cosmetic goods. What usually can take years to perfect in the lab, can take a few weeks to produce when done by private labels. As all business owners know, time is money!
Another advantage of selling private labels is the affordable production cost. Third-party
companies are often a much cheaper option when it comes to producing cosmetic goods. With super fast production time and affordability, it’s no wonder that private labeling cosmetics is the chosen go-to-market strategy for many of the world’s leading cosmetics brands.
How to Start Selling Private Label Cosmetics
So you’re ready to take the plunge and start selling your cosmetics! What is the best way to go about this? Continue reading below for some steps you can take to set your business up for success.
Step 1: Research Trending Products
There’s no reason to invest in a product that won’t sell. Do your research! Make sure to do some digging into what your target audience currently buys, or will buy! With the rise of social media and the internet, market research has never been easier. Some of the ways you can research trending products are:
Social media. From YouTube makeup influencers to Pinterest, all you need to know is right at your fingertips. What’s trending and generating engagement? Which videos have the most views?
Amazon.com. The world’s most popular online marketplace is also an amazing tool for market research. Take a look at the Bestseller lists to view the most popular items trending right now.
Google Trends. This free tool from Google analyzes popular searches across the globe and is a great way to gauge search interest and get insights into what consumers are searching for right now.
Conduct Surveys. Incentivize survey-takers with a small monetary amount, and in return, you get valuable information!
Check out popular shopping websites and stores. What cosmetic site is everyone’s current obsession? This research can be valuable in your quest to identify popular items.
Step 2: What’s Your Niche?
Niching down is crucial if you really want to reap the benefits of private label cosmetics
Choose a somewhat specific audience you want to market to. Are they men or women?
Are you selling anti-aging products, sunblock for kids, or eyeshadow for college
students? Whatever that niche may be, it will guide you through marketing it to your
audience. It can also help you find a private label company that will best fit your needs.
Step 3: Research Private Label Cosmetic Manufacturers
Researching and selecting a private label company can be daunting when there are so
many options to choose from. How do you know which one will bring you the quality
product and excellent customer service you are looking for? Some of the things you
should look out for in a potential manufacturer are:
Quality. Don’t be hesitant to order product samples. This is a sure-fire way to be certain the company’s level of quality meets your standards.
Communication. Ask as many questions as you need to aid you in determining if their company will work well with your goals. This is also an excellent test for the company's responsiveness and customer service!
Low Minimum Order Ability. Unfortunately, sometimes business owners don’t end up selling their products. In this case, you want to be sure that you aren’t stuck with a bunch of extra products you over-ordered. If you’re uncertain about demand, choose a partner that offers low minimum orders.
Sell Your Product!
Ideally, you should figure out how you’re going to be marketing and selling your product line quite early on in the process. There are so many ways to sell your product with the online
business space growing rapidly daily. Options to sell your product are:
Local shops. Go the traditional route and sell your new product at hair salons, health food stores, hair and makeup stores, and other retailers.
Amazon and eBay. These classic and reliable e-commerce sites can make selling online a breeze, offering sellers access to millions of engaged shoppers with low initial investment.
Your website. Build your own business space online by using e-commerce website builders such as Shopify, Wix, Zyro, and BigCommerce. The advantages of having your own sales channel include being able to collect customer data to further refine your product offering and platform. However, unless you already have a popular website, you will most likely have to spend money towards marketing and promoting your site and your products.
Social media. Almost every popular social media app out there now has a shopping section. Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, just to name a few.
Choosing a Private Label Cosmetic Company
Selling cosmetics through private label companies requires thorough research and plenty of creativity. It can be a successful step forward for your business, as long as you are selling a profitable product and have chosen a trustworthy, customer service-oriented, and quality-focused manufacturer.
A global number 1 research, development, and production business group for cosmetic and health functional food products, Cosmax is a great option if you are looking to scale your business to another level. One-quarter of the 7 billion people of the world are using products made from Cosmax. This speaks in it itself of the consistent quality that the company provides.
Cosmax also has a global supply chain with materials from over 1,300 companies located in 30 different countries. This means they can find an optimal and cost-effective solution for businesses everywhere. If you’re thinking of partnering with a private label company, contact us today.