Advantages and Disadvantages of Selling Cosmetic Products
What are the advantages and disadvantages of selling cosmetic products through door-to-door selling, specialty stores, department store counters, and supermarkets and hypermarkets? ?Door-to door selling The advantage of using door-to door selling is the salesperson can make initiative to go around door-to door to persuade customers to buy the cosmetic products instead of waiting the customers to visit your shop. The company is able to save money for setting up a visible shop which usually costs a lot. Besides, there is no need to take attention on the design and decoration of the shop and display of goods.
Sometimes, the customers really have no intention to buy the products, but due to continuous persuasion of the salesperson, they buy it in the end. Using door-to door selling method has a great potential to earn unlimited revenues. It is also considered convenient to customer as products are delivered directly to them. Salesperson can explain the functions of the cosmetic products and recommend what is suitable for the customer face-to face and one-by one. This is typically vital in sales of cosmetic products as each person suits different kind of cosmetic products and customers will have lots of question to ask the salesperson.
It is important to provide good services to customers in door-to door selling. On the other hand, there are also disadvantages of using door-to door method to sell cosmetic products. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, customers might have lots of questions about the cosmetic products and cause time consuming. Especially for cosmetic products, for those who have been using, they will be loyalty to particular brand and will not change dramatically which appears to be risky as they do not know whether the new brand suits them even you kept on persuading them.
It is difficult to provide consistent good quality of services. Besides, it is also difficult to employ and retain salesperson due to the unattractive working conditions. Most of the people will reject to attend to the salesperson. As a result, the salesperson may even not have a chance to promote the products. ?Specialty stores Firstly, specialty store for cosmetics provide professional services by trained salesperson and beauty consultants. This can attract many consumers as they can save money to consult a professional consultant and yet can get recommendation, free analyze of their skins, newest information and trends.
Specialty stores also provide full range of merchandises of specific cosmetic brand. This provides convenience to customers. Specialty stores can also be renovated and designed based on the theme or concept of the brand. This is helpful to build the identity of the brand in order to attract more customers. However, to train the salesperson and beauty consultants, the store has to spend a lot of money and time. And also, it is very costly to renovate the specialty stores. Without sufficient and a big amount of fund, it is totally impossible to operate a specialty store.
Specialty stores might not be able to attract customers who initially do not have interest in this brand to step in. In addition, specialty stores have to put in effort to draw traffics on their own, unlike selling products in department stores and supermarkets. ?Department store counters Setting counters in department store is the most popular channel in cosmetic products. Department store attracts all groups of customers and offers a wide variety of brands of cosmetic products to customers.
The cost of setting up counters in department store is much less compared to setting up a specialty store. However, setting counter in the cosmetic products department is very competitive as all different brands of cosmetic products are put together in a particular area. Especially for cosmetic products, customers can go to every counter and try each product. Customers can just walk around and compare among the brands. Besides, the space is rather small and has to put in great effort in the location of displaying the products to attract customers. ?Supermarkets and hypermarkets
Selling cosmetic products in supermarkets and hypermarkets cost cheaper. Usually there is no salesperson promoting the products, thus can save money on recruitment. Basically, most cosmetic products sold in the supermarkets and hypermarkets are basic, lower-priced mass products. Without salesperson, the cosmetic products appear to be less attractive. Furthermore, similar to setting counters in department stores, supermarkets will diversify their products into different departments. Thus, all cosmetic products will be placed together which is highly competitive.
