It will keep only distribution of Nikon cameras, Toshiba TVs, several home appliances brands and its own mobile device brand Utok.
The company also announced it will enter the personal care product market as a distributor of French brand BaByliss, and its target is to sell one million products and achieve a 30% market share in the next two years.
“We are the official distributor of BaByliss in Romania as of September 1, and this is how we’re celebrating the 15th anniversary of our group. BaByliss has been sporadically represented in Romania so far by various foreign or local distributors,” Camil Perian, Skin Media chief executive and one of the shareholders of the group, told ZF.
“We plan to sell one million personal care products over the next two years. The local market currently stands at more than one million units.”
BaByliss has a 50% market share on those markets where it is well represented, Perian says, while in the other countries where not so well represented, the market share is 30%. Skin Media’s target is one third of the personal care product market in the next two years.
Skin Media will only distribute the mass-market range of the French brand, while another distributor handles the professional range of the company.
The group will sell such products as hair dryers, stylers, straighteners, hair removal products, trimmers, hair clippers etc. BaByliss is a French brand part of the US Connair Corporation group. Its competitors in Romania are Philips and Remington.
The official launch of BaByliss in Romania is part of Skin Media’s strategy to move from distribution of IT&C products to ‘lifestyle technology’ products.
“We completely left everything that is pure IT, except for our own brand Utok. Over the past month, we ended all partnerships for distribution of IT products (laptops, monitors, memory products etc.). We are moving into a new phase we call ‘lifestyle technology’ (…),” Perian added.
Skin Media will be distributing Nikon professional cameras, its own mobile device brand Utok, eight home appliances brands (Breville, Crock-Pot, Food Saver, Kuvings, Marcato, Oster, Sous Vide Supreme, and VitaJuicer) launched at the end of last year and BaByliss personal care products from now on. It will also remain the only distributor of Toshiba TV sets in Romania.
“The plan is to have Nikon and BaByliss account for one third of the total business each, and home appliances and TV sets for another third.”
Skin Media posted EUR42 million revenue last year and its 2015 target is more than EUR50 million.
“Revenue was already 20% higher than last year by August.”
Its strategy to move to distribution of other types of products started three years ago, when it entered into talks with the home appliances and personal care product brands. Camil Perian says distributing IT&C products is no longer as profitable as it used to be, because such products have become a pure necessity for consumers.
The group also intends to enter the smart gadget segment (such as smart fitness bands and smartwatches) and is in advanced talks with several major brands already, Perian said.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)