BRAZILIAN WAXING IN SHANGHAI

A Peek into ‘s Strategy for Shanghai

CONTENTS

•  Introduction •  Research results •  Competition & Differentiation

Strategies •  Analysis & Recommendation

WHAT IS BRAZILIAN WAXING?

•  The epilation of body hair in and around the pubic region by the use of wax

•  Reasons include

aesthetic, hygienic, or other reasons

Strip: The Ministry of Waxing

•  Founder in Singapore in 2002 by Cynthia Chua

•  Has pruned and waxed

over two million bushes worldwide

•  Today: Singapore, London, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila, and Bangkok

ABOUT Strip •  Devoted to the Holy

Trinity of Waxing: Hygiene, Speed and Quality (HSQ). Emphasizes on ‘No Double Dipping’

•  A place for body

culture that's practiced safely, hygienically and painlessly

Strip’s BEGINNINGS & PHILOSOPHIES

•  In 2002, Chua was chatting with an expatriate male acquaintance who bemoaned the lack of grooming "down there" on otherwise gorgeous Singaporean women

•  “We’re like the Starbucks of

waxing.” There’s a uniform level of service in all their branches and you always know what to expect

Strip’s BRAZILIAN WAXING STORIES

•  Strip Singapore 2002 vs 2007: “When we first opened in Singapore, there were only five percent Chinese and 95 percent expats. Now it’s the other way around.” -BJ Macatulad, Strip Shanghai’s GM

•  Strip Shanghai 2009 vs Present: –  Locals: 20% à 40% –  Expats: 80% à 60%

Shanghai:  Wukang  Lu

Singapore:  ? Singapore:  Raffles  City

•  Introduction •  Research Results •  Competition and Differentiation

Strategies •  Analysis & Recommendation

CONTENTS

PRICE & LOCATION

•  Price: 120-280元 (USD20-47) •  High-value strategy: Medium price & high

product quality

4 Locations French Concession -  Wukang Lu -  Wulumuqi Lu -  Xinle Lu North Shanghai Area -  Joy City multi-use

complex

GRAPHS (DEMOGRAPHICS)

Yes: 6 No: 35 Total: 41

Total: 41

ON THE STREETS…

•  Interview Subjects: –  Foreigners –  Local Chinese residents –  American Born Chinese

30-­‐year-­‐old  P

regnant  Sha

nghainese  

Female:  “我觉得很痛!”  

 

Two  50-­‐60  year  old  Shangh

ainese  

women:  “我们老了，不管这些

东西”  

 

26-­‐year-­‐old  Divorced  Shanghainese    

Female:  “我是很简单的，没有想过这

些东西”  

•  Possible Reasons: –  Personal Hygiene –  Westerner boyfriends –  Exposure to the West

(studied abroad etc.) –  To wear bikinis during the

summer

MARKET RESEARCH (VIDEO)

MARKETING EFFORTS •  Advertisements in: -  Expat-oriented

magazines –  Time Out: Shanghai,

City Weekend -  Chinese fashion

magazines -  Gracia, Femina, ilook

•  Word-of-mouth

advertising •  Every customer

becomes a billboard

ADVERTISEMENTS •  Tongue-in-Cheek ads

ADVERTISEMENTS •  Aim to be funny, never too serious

PROMOTIONS AND DEALS •  Get two free movie

tickets for December 24 if you spent over 2,000元 out here!

•  Credits-based

package deals that can be shared

•  Bring a new friend and get 50% off!

Strip SHANGHAI •  The prices and

descriptions on display were all in English

•  Trendy and hip

locations: French Concession, Joy City

•  Interior design: inspired by NYC’s Greenwich Village eclecticism; clients feel at home

Xinle  Lu  Storefront

Wulumuqi  Lu    Waxing  Room

CONTENTS

•  Introduction •  Research results •  Competition and Differentiation

Strategies •  Analysis & Recommendation

COMPETITORS

•  Skin City •  Dragonfly •  ‘Mom & Pop’

Neighborhood Beauty Salons

•  Home Waxing Kits?

HOW Strip DIFFERENTIATES: PRODUCTS

•  Strip-formulated Chocolate/Strawberry Super (Hard) Wax

HOW Strip DIFFERENTIATES: PRODUCTS

•  In-House products: –  X’ed Out cream –  Ice Cream –  Strawberry Body Scrub –  Strawberry Body Butter

HOW Strip DIFFERENTIATES: CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

•  Before Treatment: –  Virgin Forest Guidebook –  7 drops of bach flower

essence to calm nerves •  After Treatment:

–  SOS Tips Manual –  Ginger/Lemon Tea

HOW Strip DIFFERENTIATES: CUSTOMER SERVICE

•  All ‘Striperella’s trained in Singapore – “They sure know how to make me comfortable.”

•  Bilingual receptionists and

waxing therapists all in their 20’s or young 30’s

•  English/Chinese options on their hotline

HOW Strip DIFFERENTIATES: CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

CONTENTS

•  Introduction •  Research results •  Competition and Differentiation

Strategies •  Analysis & Recommendation

•  Chua: “Singapore brands are also associated with integrity and a transparent working process. We lay everything on the table and don't tend to beat around the bush.”

•  A franchise in Manila & Dubai (2012)

vs. a WOFE in Shanghai

BRANDING A SINGAPOREAN COMPANY

MARKETING CULTURALLY

•  Singapore: When Bush wasn’t re-elected: "Bye Bye Bush”, "Boy, Are We Glad to See Bush Go”, "No More Bush”, "Life Will be Better Without Bush”

•  Shanghai: The Chinese name

for Strip is ‘Jie Tuo’ 洁脱 (the Chinese characters for ‘clean’ and ‘removal’ － a pun on the Chinese word 解脱-liberation)

SHANGHAI VS SINGAPORE •  Chua believes there is room for

growth because “all cities move in the same way. Urbanites want the same things” (Starbucks model)

•  English-speaking vs Chinese-speaking

•  Culturally metropolitan;

increasingly Westernized

•  First mover’s advantage

DEMAND FORECAST

•  Increasing number of Shanghainese women that would try Brazilian waxing

•  Target Audience:

middle-upper class, professionals, housewives

•  Economic indicator: More Chinese

customers as Chinese economy continues to grow (disposable income)

RECOMMENDATIONS •  Problem: Need to expose people to waxing at Strip •  Chinese-language service menu placements

•  Expand to Pudong

•  Integrate Chinese culture; don’t be as provocative. Hygiene-focused.

•  Provide house calls services

•  Support local music scene and community service •  Local celebrity endorsement/

bloggers’ experience

CONCLUSION