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Discount CosmeticsAncestral man used red ochre to draw in his caves, and, on himself. Evidence of the use of ochre dates back 800,000-900,000 years. Skeletal remains have been found with traces of ochre. Ochre is the common name for the iron ores of limonite (brown), goethite (yellow), and haematite (red). Ochre was used for bodily decoration, an insect repellent, and treating animal skins. It is still used by some tribal peoples in Africa as protection from the sun, an insect repellent and a medicine. Aztec courtesans used a pale yellow ochre powder on their faces to make themselves look beautiful.
The ancient Egyptians certainly used cosmetics and had beauty parlors nearly 6,000 years ago. A pot of moisturizer containing animal fat and perfumed resin was found in the tomb of King Tutankhamen. The Egyptians made their
cosmetics from olive and nut oils, animal fats, flowers, and seeds. Green eye shadow, eyeliner and mascara were featured. They dyed their skin with henna and fashionable, high-status women wore red nail polish and coated their nipples with gold. Incense was used regularly and the acquisition of materials for
cosmetics was a major part of ancient Egypt's foreign trade. Both men and women used
cosmetics and body oils.
However throughout most of history, the use of cosmetics, fragrances and perfumes was reserved for the rich. The aristocratic class of any society most often was confident enough about their survival, and had the idle time and money, to indulge in cosmetic luxuries. Also, in examining the history of
cosmetics, fragrances and perfumes, we see that many of the mere ingredients of the world’s greatly sought after beauty products are both rare and expensive. It also took knowledge, education and experience to extract these ingredients, and turn them into usable
cosmetics. This is a process that only the upper classes would have been capable of. Whereas the noble courtesans of a given country might be wearing white powder in their wigs, bathing in scented oils and wearing perfumes and fragrances distilled from violets, the local peasants might be wearing animal fats and castor oil for protection from the sun. (Animal fat. The world’s first
discount cosmetic?)
It was only after the French Revolution that we see the use of cosmetics, fragrances and perfumes “trickle down” to the masses. The use of
cosmetics along with the observation of basic hygienic principles becomes more universal as yet another factor occurs. As
cosmetics, fragrances and perfumes evolve and become cheaper, their less rare versions are considered for everyday use for practically everyone.
Advances in chemistry during the early part of the 1800’s gave perfumers the ability to synthesize more and more natural fragrances. In 1868 the production of the first synthetic fragrance, coumarin, was followed 20 years later by musk, vanilla and violet. Eventually this list expanded to many hundreds, then thousands, of synthetic fragrances-the first perfumes unsuitable for medicinal use.
American women really began using cosmetics en masse as mass makeup marketing hit in the 1920’s, and more of them began entering the workforce.
All these events contributed to the rise of a significant, if not huge, market for
discount
cosmetics, fragrances and perfumes.
During the first part of this century, cosmetics product sales largely took place in Department Stores at retail counters which were managed directly by the
cosmetics manufacturer. An essential component of the transaction was the expert advice provided by a beautician dispatched from the manufacturing company. The cheaper
cosmetics products were mostly sold "self-service" style in lower end department or “dime” stores.
The relaxation of restrictions on where cosmetic products may be sold has led the way to price
discounting on more and more products. While drugstores are still in favor as
cosmetics outlets, the nature of the drug store has changed from the image of a neighborhood pharmacy to more of a Drug-Department store for moderately priced items ranging anywhere from food to medical supplies. These environments favor younger buyers who appreciate the freedom to select products independently from a wide range on display.
Discount drug stores also offer faster “in-out” buying opportunities to a society on the go. These types of outlets customarily add one more incentive to buy…the
discount price for both second tier products as well as those of major manufacturers.
Even today’s convenience stores which had not traditionally been big players in this market, see
cosmetics as small-sized products which take up little of their valuable store real estate, yet have the ability to increase sales through both convenience and impulse buys. The products are set out not by manufacturer or brand, but lined up on the same shelf as auxiliary wares like foundation and skin care.
It is this “anonymity” that the high-end cosmetics industry has always fought. A brief look at the history and advertising done by the Major companies like
Elizabeth Arden, Estee
Lauder, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Lancôme, Clinique, and others reveals a sort of “brand elitism” attitude. Certainly every company wants to convince its potential buyers that its products are the best. But some are reluctant to let this job be done by advertising and packaging alone where their brand may share a
discount merchant’s shelf with a hundred other
cosmetics, fragrance, and perfume makers.
The reality is that many buyers have moved away from the “traditional” department store model for a host of reasons, and more and more
cosmetics are being sold in large discount store environments such as Costco, Walmart, Sav-on, Target, K-Mart. Even manufacturers who would previously have considered the advice offered by their beauticians to be an essential part of the sale of one of their products are now looking at developing brands specifically targeted for the "self service" sales channel.
However, customer profiles vary between sales channels, and cosmetic companies selling in a number of different types of retail outlets will need to understand a broad range of customer requirements and position their product lines accordingly. Customers targeted by a particular product, together with product pricing, were traditionally determined almost exclusively by the manufacturer. But now "self service" stores sell a wide range of products and brands side by side. There is, of course no manufacturer trained beautician present at K-Mart.
The revolution in the way consumers buy has reached all the way into cyberspace. During the turn of the century, Elizabeth Arden built her
cosmetics and Perfume Empire partially through the use of her Ambassador-esses, who were trained to provide personal attention and care to each individual client. Ms. Arden would doubtlessly be distressed to see purchases being routinely made online, with no Ambassador-esses present in the buyer’s face. What we saw with the rise of the brick and mortar
discount store where a Sam’s Club takes a section from the market enjoyed by Macy’s is happening again. The net and it’s
cosmetics, fragrance, and perfume discount e-tailers are taking market sections from Macy’s, and Sam’s Club alike.
We can expect that the intensifying of competition between "self service" sales channels such as pharmacies, convenience stores,
discount stores, and even Internet e-tailers will continue to drive prices down. This makes it essential for
cosmetics manufacturers to understand the needs of consumers above and beyond their existing customer base. The key to increasing sales revenues lies in developing new products which respond to changing customer tastes and buying styles and reinforcing brand image amongst consumers. It will be interesting to see how manufacturers respond to this challenge in the future.
You can look to Internet e-tailers such as FragranceWholesale.com for both the quality of name brand cosmetic, fragrance and perfume products, and the economy of
discount pricing. Personal service is never sacrificed along the way.
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Fragrance Wholesale - Specializing in Estee Lauder, Lancome, Clinique, Arden, and Dermablend Cosmetics. FragranceWholesale.com. Your Discount Perfume, Cologne, and Cosmetics Superstore!
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