We are already working with around 30 countries worldwide: Claudia Steinberger
We are already working with around 30 countries worldwide: Claudia Steinberger

Amidst the festive season, beauty conscious consumers have one more reason to rejoice as premium German skincare brand, Malu Wilz makes its debut in India. Malu Wilz, a €20-million German skincare brand from the €170-million ARTDECO Group, has partnered with Kaunis Marketing Services Pvt. Ltd. to build its presence in the Indian market. Kaunis will act as an anchor for the brand, by devising and implementing strategic plans that cover all spheres of their business and define the roadmap ahead for their development and growth.

In India, 59 face care units best suited to the Indian skin, have launched for three customer profiles – women who are 30 and above, men above 20 and girls above 16. These products will be launched in six exclusive, company owned and operated Malu Wilz stores. We talk to Claudia Steinberger, Managing Director, Malu Wilz Beaute, about the brand, its offerings and about its future plans, in further detail:

Tell us about Malu Wilz, its inception, history and USP.
Malu Wilz was founded in 1991 under the ARTDECO Group and our company is dedicated to skin care since over 30 years. With over 30 years of skin care expertise, our products are a combination of traditional methods and active ingredients, and this is our USP. When it comes to the product range, we have a very expansive range of products and we have solution for every skin problem. Starting with the ‘young care’ line targeted at teenagers from 14- 19 years of age, we offer products for skin problems of a middle aged woman to a much more mature consumer.

Malu Wilz is in the skin care industry for over 30 years with over 3,000 studios in Germany along with a distribution reach in 28 countries worldwide. Why did you choose India as its next destination for expansion?
India is a very promising country for us. It is a potential market for global brands and conditions are congenial. This has been very interesting for us always since years but we were also aware of the fact that it is very important to have the right partner who can look after the brand’s image and brand’s expansion plans. MaluWilz aims to make every woman feel more beautiful with its high-quality skin care and treatment products. With Kaunis as our partner, we are hoping to have a robust opening in the Indian market.

What are the different product categories Malu Wilz offers to its customers? Also tell us about the price range of the products.
While majority of the brand talk about ‘dermatologically tested’, our products are ‘dermatologically made’. In terms of product range, we offer a wide range of ‘Cleansing’ range; then we have ‘Basic’ line which includes multi vitamin gel, moisture plus lip balm, BB beauty cream, tender rose elixir, tender rose cream and natural beauty day cream SPF 10; next is our ‘Hydro’ line which takes care of dehydrated skin and these include Thalasso products and Hyaluronic Active+ for even drier skin; then we have a ‘Balance’ range helps regain a harmonious complexion; next in line is the ‘Sensitive and Hyper Sensitive’ line for sensitive skin types; then the brand also offers ‘Young Care’ line aimed at teenagers skin requirements. We have learnt that India is a very strong market for men’s skin care products as well and so we have, for now, a very small and compact range for men. Next is our ‘Regeneration’ line which is essential for maintenance of mature skin; then there is a ‘Brightening’ line which helps give an even complexion to those who have skin pigmentation problems. Then, there is ‘Energy’ line which helps in strengthening of skin. Lastly, what we are specialist for is our ‘Concentrates’ which are in the form of ampoules that are highly effective serums and are for one use. The price range of the products varies from Rs.1,700 to Rs.4,000.

Who are your target consumers?
All women who take care of themselves, who are interested in having a nice and healthy skin are our target consumers. The age group starts from 16 years for ‘Young Care’ and would go up to any and everybody who loves their skin and complexion.

Have you curated your collections in order to suit the Indian skin type and weather conditions of the country?
We are already working with around 30 countries worldwide. So, we know the needs from different countries. Even in Germany, we have different seasons from winter to summer. We understand the weather conditions in India and our 60 products are ready for this market.

Tell us about your partnership with Kaunis Marketing.
Kaunis is fully responsible for our India markets. Right now, we are training the whole staff starting from Bengaluru and then came to Delhi and Kaunis have a really motivated staff of beauty consultants and trainers and sales representatives. So, we are very convinced that the company will be the perfect representatives of Malu Wilz in India.

What sort of investments has gone into the overall project?
We assist our partners in every way in the beginning as launching a brand in a new market is not easy. In terms of investment, we are looking at 40- 50 percent of our revenue going back into establishing the brand. Because in the initial years, we need to establish the presence, train the staffs to talk to the consumers and consult them, so there’s involvement of big investment.

What are your marketing strategies for Indian market?
We are going to market and promote the brand through print and digital media. We will also go for sampling apart from PR.

 

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