In the far 50th in America housewives performed intellectual feats, mastering the catalogs of cosmetic products – to read and order lipstick at home was a very fashionable and cutting-edge occupation.
The decades have passed, the method of direct sales is no longer new, but still very popular. And, despite the massive spread, distrust of such cosmetics is not diminished – why is it not sold in stores? What is hidden in the catalogs, learned correspondent SHE.
Distrust of creams from catalogs is caused by lies of consultants and their inflated promises
The pioneer of direct sales – that is, the direct contact of the distributor and the buyer – was Avon. Created in 1886, not in England, as one can decide from the name, but in the US, the firm initially offered only five types of perfume. Now, as we can see, the Avon catalog can be found in the farthest corners of the Earth. In Russia, the first companies that offer cosmetics through direct sales are Mirra and Faberlic, now they are also quite popular.
The method of direct sales implies the absence of intermediaries – shops, pharmacies, other outlets. The advantage of direct sales, according to one of Oriflame’s employees, is that this approach is beneficial for both the manufacturer and the consumer: there is no shop mark-up, in addition, for the buyer it is more convenient that the goods are brought directly to his home or in office – no need to go to the store.
The human factor
With the fact that the main purpose of distribution through the network is the benefit, the director of the Scientific Cosmetology Society Anatoly Decin agrees: “In order to put products in stores or pharmacies, you need to pay the amounts that many small businesses can not afford.
And on the shelves the bottles will stand silently, no one will tell about them. And distribution through consultants promotes sales well and is more profitable for the manufacturer. But there is a problem – consultants often lie. ”
And it is because of lies and exaggerations that a negative attitude to the brand arises, and this attitude is objective. “To sell at any price the goods, consultants promise miracles: a complete disposal of wrinkles for a week and other fudge,” continues the exposure of Anatoly Decin. – People, not having received the promised, are disappointed in production and on the sarafan radio broadcast their indignation. It is because of the disappointment of customers that companies such as Herbalife, New Life, are now very few people are interested, although there was a time when their glory was booming. ”
Those firms, whose consultants are more appropriately approaching the spread, not promising miracles, but simply offering to buy cosmetics, stay on the market longer. In fact, according to the director of the Scientific Cosmetic Society, cosmetics sold in catalogs and cosmetics on shelves in the store have approximately the same quality at a similar price. “Although there are no serious criteria for assessing efficiency in our country, as well as strict control of the composition of products,” complains Anatoly Decin.
It turns out, if you do not wait for miracles and so do not get discouraged, then you can order cosmetics at home. Understand skepticism of women who trust only shops, and even better pharmacies – although the latter is just an advertising move. But on the other side of the barricade there is a fairly large number of ladies who love catalogs. What attracts them?
Honey and tar
Look at the catalog nicely – cosmetics are very appetizing, on each page some subjects are played out, so that viewing of promotional products by women can easily be perceived as reading a glossy magazine. And the bonus to this pleasure is that you can participate in this glossy life, acquire the means by which shining young girls, smiling from the pages, have become so beautiful.
There are several unpleasant moments in this pastime. First, the girls made beautiful, most likely, Photoshop, not the cream, but this trick most people gradually realized.
Secondly, jars on the pages are often presented larger than in reality, the size. But it’s not all that many people pay attention to the mass of content indicated in small italics.
And when the coveted cream, pencil or powder turns out to be hands, you realize that the discount, attractive price was not so small for these volumes. Council of consultants: carefully look at the description of the goods, including – the volume.
Another blend – the price indicated in this way: 99 rubles 99 kopecks. In reality, with rounding, you get 100, but when you see the number nine, people usually represent the price as 90. Again small, but a lie. Although such, we confess, do not disdain in the stores.
Another big disadvantage: the discrepancy between the colors of decorative cosmetics – lipsticks, shadows – on the pages of catalogs and in reality. But in this case, conscientious consultants advise paying attention to probes worth 5-10 rubles. However, in the catalog about them usually not a word, but most distributors are reluctant to admit the availability of cheap goods, when there is an opportunity to sell the road.
When discussing this topic at the NGS Forum, the girls agreed that the cosmetics for catalogs are good in the students, with age people are switching to more expensive drugs, and to order to become somehow disgraceful. Although as entertainment someone can afford to indulge in order. There is a sense of surprise in this. But it happens that not only pleasant.
