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Mon, June 27, 2022 | 13:35
Business
Amore Pacific puts premium drive on hold
아모레퍼시픽, 고가브랜드 日철수 이어 국내매장 축소
Posted : 2014-11-30 17:55
Updated : 2014-12-01 10:14
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CEO admits flagship products struggle in target markets

By By Park Si-soo

Amore Pacific CEO Suh Kyung-bae
Amore Pacific CEO Suh Kyung-bae
The country's leading cosmetics maker Amore Pacific recently decided to stop selling its top namesake premium products at duty free stores in Japan. It has also withdrawn Amore Pacific-branded products from several domestic duty free stores.

Instead, the Seoul-based company plans to bolster sales of Etude-branded products available at relatively low prices.

A major portion of the firm's sales are generated at duty free stores at home and abroad.

The company launched the high-end line in 2002 to compete with such international luxury cosmetics brands as L'Oreal, Lancome and Estee Lauder. But the withdrawal may signal failure of the mission. In addition, analysts say, Amore Pacific has found itself to be competitive only in the market of mid and low-priced products.

Last month, Amore Pacific CEO Suh Kyung-bae admitted that the high-end line was struggling in overseas markets, adding the company will focus more on lower-priced products.

Asked about the withdrawal from Japanese duty free shops, Suh told reporters that it was due to no growth there over the past ten years. "We will appeal to customers in Japan with a new brand that can lure young people," the CEO said.

The company has decided to drastically cut the number of domestic outlets exclusively selling the premium line for the same reason.

Amore Pacific has shown impressive performances in sales throughout this year, pushing up its share prices to an all-time high ㅡ its shares closed up 3.09 percent or 75,000 won at 2.5 million won ($2,255).

Suh's stake in the company was valued at around 6.7 trillion won as of early last month, which allowed him to join the world's 200 wealthiest people selected by U.S. business newswire Bloomberg.

Yet analysts say Amore Pacific has contributed little to this. They cited Sulwhasoo and Hera ㅡ two premium lines priced far lower than Amore Pacific ㅡ as the biggest contributor to the hike this year.

In addition, they said, sales in China quickly outgrew Japan, giving the firm an excuse to downsize its presence in the Japanese market.

"We will make Amore Pacific available only at a handful of stores," an Amore Pacific official said. "This policy shift will help improve our brand image."


아모레퍼시픽, 고가브랜드 日철수 이어 국내매장 축소

아모레퍼시픽의 최고가 브랜드 아모레퍼시픽(AP)이 일본에서 매장을 철수한 데 이어 국내 면세점에서도 매장을 대폭 줄인다.

30일 업계에 따르면 아모레퍼시픽은 이달 동화면세점에서 AP 제품 판매를 중단하는 등 최근 롯데면세점 잠실점·코엑스점, 신라면세점 제주점, 신세계와 워커힐면세점 등 6곳에서 퇴점했다. 

AP는 아모레퍼시픽이 사명(社名)을 따 2002년 내놓은 고가 브랜드로 일본과 미국 등에 진출해 사업을 펼쳐 왔다.  

하지만 백화점과 고가 화장품 시장 상황이 좋지 않은 일본에서는 고전을 거듭하다 진출 8년 만인 올해 사업을 접기로 했다. 

서경배 아모레퍼시픽그룹 회장은 지난달 중국 상하이에서 개최한 뷰티사업장 준공 기념 기자간담회에서 '일본 백화점은 지난 10년간 계속 마이너스 성장을 했다'며 '(AP를 철수하는) 대신 새로운 브랜드의 수용도가 높은 젊은 층을 대상으로 에뛰드 사업을 하고 있다'고 말했다. 

아모레퍼시픽 측은 국내 면세점에서도 자사 다른 브랜드와 함께 운영했던 AP의 소규모 통합매장을 모두 정리한다는 계획이다.

앞으로 남는 단독 매장은 롯데면세점과 신라면세점의 인천공항점 등 4곳뿐이다.

업계에서는 국내 화장품 시장이 면세점을 중심으로 성장하는 상황에서 AP가 면세점 업계의 '큰손'인 중국인 관광객의 눈길을 끌지 못하는 것이 채널 전략을 재정비하게 된 이유라고 분석하고 있다. 

실제로 아모레퍼시픽의 3분기 국내 화장품 매출액 가운데 면세점 매출액은 약 1천960억원으로 지난해 3분기보다 100.3% 급증했다. 이 기간 국내 화장품 매출에서 면세점이 차지하는 비중도 15.1%에서 19.5%로 늘었다.

하지만 이런 면세점 매출 증가세는 AP가 아니라 중국인 관광객들이 줄을 서서 구매하는 설화수와 헤라 등이 이끌고 있다. 

업계 관계자는 '설화수와 헤라의 인기가 독보적이라는 점을 고려하더라도 AP의 성적이 기대에 못 미친다는 우려는 계속 제기돼왔다'고 전했다.

아모레퍼시픽 관계자는 'AP는 소수의 단독 매장 중심으로 '선택과 집중' 전략을 쓸 계획'이라며 '이를 통해 고객 서비스를 강화하고 럭셔리 브랜드의 이미지를 높이겠다'고 설명했다. 

한편, 해외 시장 진출과 관련해 아모레퍼시픽 측은 이달 12일과 14일 홍콩에 2개 AP 매장을 열었다며, 앞으로 핵심 상권에 매장을 열고 현지화 마케팅을 진행해 중화권 시장에 브랜드를 알리겠다고 덧붙였다. (연합뉴스)
Emailpss@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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