E’clat Superior: Setting up new standards in beauty care
Tapping the right market strategy is what E’clat Superior is eyeing to go to the next level in beauty care
A pioneer in skin care and hair care, E’clat Superior, the sister concern of Ahmedabad-based Baxium Health Science, has risen to new heights in the cosmetic and beauty segment. By birth, a few months old, the beauty care company’s reputation has reached new horizons, thanks to its business strategies. Offering an array of skincare products, the company focuses on the small nitty-gritty regarding skincare which is a blessing for its success.
Says Sandeep Gupta, Founder and CEO, E’clat Superiors, “We develop our products based on three-pronged policy — Prepare, Prevent and Repair. Our products address a plethora of skin concerns like hyperpigmentation, acne, ageing etc. We believe in developing a wholesome skincare range for the Indian skincare market. For every single skin concern, we have developed a whole range addressing just one concern.”
The company has developed cleanser, toner, serum and sun-screen to cater to those who suffer from hyperpigmentation. The skincare products are categorised into am and pm care segments. For every skincare problem, there is a range of start-to-finish products. E’clat Superiors’ USP lies over the fact that the company goes in-depth to realise the customer’s need and develop a holistic solution, involving products which can be used over the day.
A doctor-oriented company, the brand is trusted by leading dermatologists in India and patients are recommended to use by the doctors themselves. During COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, the products were much appreciated by beauty bloggers.
Known for catering to a range of premium quality products, the company focuses on how the products bring in outstanding results. Says Gupta, “You must realise that dermatologists will shy away from recommending if desired results don’t come. We realise and respect the fact that we cannot make a fool out of the dermatologist. So instead of focusing on advertising on PR activities, we have to practically prove the efficacy of our product in front of the dermatologist. We take pride in the fact that our products are not mere over the counter but derma logically-backed OTC products. This is where our products make a difference.”
Active ingredients
The company procures some of the best active ingredients from pharma companies across the world. The ingredients come at a premium and the very reason for the product’s efficacy as well as the cost. Gupta cites an example of vitamin C, which is available at Rs 600 per kg and in the market, which makes a lot of difference on the outcome of the products.
Says Gupta, “Our customers are ready to pay for the products as they find a huge difference while using our products than using any other brands.”
There are certain challenges while sourcing the ingredients, costing being the main challenge. Keeping an eye on the ingredients, the company ensure that quality is not compromised at all levels and customers are satisfied.
Says Gupta, “The price that the consumer is paying is for the quality of that ingredient because it makes the real difference to the outcome of the product.”
Research and development
E’clat Superiors is a market-driven company where special emphasis is made on the ingredients and the final product keeping a focus on R&D. The R&D team guides the company on the ingredients and products front.
Gupta says, “We are taking the help of R&D and just formulating products according to India skincare needs. Our contribution to the Indian market is to manufacture products that are safe and effective.”
Citing an example of pigmentation, which can be traumatic for someone suffering from it, Gupta claims that the product Fadeout works best for those who suffer from pigmentation. The company wants to grab the pigmentation market and eyes to double the sale of products in the coming years.
Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is a common ingredient and all the brands end up using the ingredient. 12 per cent HA is used in the products as it is non-toxic. It helps to hydrate the skin from inside and outside. The difference lies in where it stands ahead in the race is that the competitors use only 2 per cent of HA whereasE’clat Superior uses 12 per cent of HA.
The sales figures are reaching new heights each month and the company is eyeing a positive outlook with expectations reaching new heights.
Says Gupta, “We source our products from some of the top and best R&D companies in the world. Our next target is to set up its R&D set up.”
Keeping an eye on the global market, the company plans to export a huge quantity of its beauty products in days to come.
The future outlook
E’clat Superior plans to launch its skincare range of products for men in the next two months. Keeping a tab on the men’s grooming segment in skincare and hygiene, the company wants to grab the major market share. The second most important target is setting up of offline stores. The store will sell the entire range of products, of course with proper education and consultation. Multi-brand offline stores will be launched soon.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a real challenge for the business to grow and Gupta was quite sceptical and was wandering on whether the business can grow at a faster pace. Added to it the economic burden threw a host of challenges on business prospects.
Gupta says, “We were not very confident about people buying our products or even showing an interest in us. But my biggest learning from this situation is that skincare and beauty are among the most mandatory things to take care of. For the first two to three months, despite limited logistics, we received queries from our clients. Beauty conscious clients were ready to pay well in advance for the products and some in bulks too.”
Despite the office remaining shut due to the pandemic, the company managed to sail through. Being a pharma company originally, and following the same model where it used to send pharma products through the post during the pandemic, E’clat Superior took the same path to expand its business during the lockdown.
Gupta says, “The pandemic helped us to realise that people were crazy for our products and there was a feel-good factor to it.”
The skin care business is not just putting any product out there in the market and raking in the profits. Things have changed over the years and the company’s approach from day one was to educate the consumers about the products, besides guiding them with our in-house experienced dermatologist.
Consumers are more aware, educated and curious, which will be a guiding mechanism for our growth. Gupta says, “We put a lot of emphasis on customer feedback for our products. Our focus remains on what makes the customer happy and satisfied with our range of products and we let that guide us on our future path. The Indian cosmetics industry needs to follow the customers’ expectations if it has to evolve and keep up with the global competition.
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