Dear Me Beauty eyes flagship store

The branch could serve as the foundation for broader market growth.

Indonesia’s Dear Me Beauty plans to open its own flagship store after almost eight years of being sold online and in health and beauty shops like Watsons, as it tries to boost its retail footprint in preparation for an overseas expansion.

“We aim to strengthen and complete our makeup line with skincare benefits, and maintain our research and development (R&D) focus especially in decorative cosmetics,” Nikita Wiradiputri, CEO and co-founder at PT Garland Cantik Indonesia, which owns the Dear Me Beauty brand of cosmetic products, told Retail Asia.

“We will activate digital marketing, enhance social media marketing, and build customer friendships beyond Java this year,” she added. 

The expansion is under discussion, and the flagship store could serve as the foundation for broader market growth, Nikita said via Zoom.

Indonesia’s beauty and personal care market is projected to grow 4.3% annually until 2030 from $9.7b this year, according to German data portal Statista.

Dear Me Beauty, which started in November 2017 and whose products have been tested for safety and are halal-certified, now operates in 15 provinces, including Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi. Last year, its offline presence expanded by as much as 50%.

Nikita attributed the company’s growth to digital media, surveys, third-party research, and direct interactions with customers at face-to-face events. 

“Shopper feedback, such as color preferences and personalisation by naming products after individuals’ names, has been a key aspect of product development,” she said.

“This ensures that our products align with consumer needs and helps us maintain product relevance amid the rapidly changing trends and months-long development process required for beauty products,” she added.

Market insights have driven pricing strategies as well. For instance, Dear Me Beauty lowered the price of its Serum Lip Tint to roughly $3 to target teenagers.

“Initially, our target market was aged 20-25, but this product allowed us to reach consumers as young as 14,” Nikita said. Back then, Dear Me Beauty’s first product, a lip cream, was being sold for almost twice as much.

Dear Me Beauty has also harnessed cross-category collaborations to boost brand recognition. Partnerships with brands like Yupi candy, Sasa seasoning, Nissin wafer, and KFC have created unique shopping experiences, increasing demand. 

“In our first year of collaborations, brand value increased tenfold, and sales rose eightfold between 2017 and 2019,” Nikita said.

She said Dear Me Beauty would continue to make products using premium ingredients, enhanced with the latest tech at an affordable price.