It’s Complicated

This month marks my second anniversaryas editor of Cosmetic Packaging & Design, reporting on the cosmetics and toiletries industry and I am constantly amazed at how complicated the beauty business is.

My first surprise was to realize how many suppliers can be involved in the creation of the packaging for one new product: design firms, bottle manufacturers, dispenser suppliers, cap manufacturers, label printers, carton suppliers, contract packagers—the list goes on and on. Read about this year’s IPDA Finalists (p. 50) and see which companies are credited with roles in bringing these outstanding package to completion.

Now, I’m beginning to see how complex the distribution system for these products is as well. It sounds simple enough: prestige, specialty, mass market, and direct sales. But these days prestige products often end up in mass market distribution and many mass market products look and perform at prestige levels. Beauty products are also distributed through all kinds of other retail stores, from drug stores and grocery stores, to apparel shops and even gas stations and confectionery stores. And don’t forget warehouse clubs, flea markets and salons. Keeping track is virtually impossible, especially when the largest retailer of all—Wal-Mart—doesn’t break down its sales by category of product. But even with statistics being, of necessity, estimates, the trend in Personal Care in the Mass Market (p. 62) is more sales moving to big box discounters.

You can get some help in figuring out the beauty consumer with the FIT Capstone 2003 (p. 34), which sets out to define today’s shopper and what she wants. Part of what she wants in the prestige market is a product that is both classic and contemporary. See how luxury packaging can deliver that message in Luxury Packages Redefine the Classics (p. 70).

And if you aren’t convinced that our industry of beauty packaging is multi-layered, read about the latest in secondary packaging (p.78) to see what goes into making that box, bag or blister pack that looks so good on shelf.

As of this issue, Cosmetic Packaging & Design is proud to announce that BPA International now officially audits our magazine. This means that we can now independently verify the magazine’s circulation figures. Another way CP&D is proving its worth as your #1 source of industry information.

Our second annual Buyers Guide is now available online at www.CosmeticPackagingandDesign. It works better than ever. Check it out! See you all at HBA,

Janet Herlihy
Editor
[email protected]