PORT WASHINGTON, NY, July 26, 2007 – Leading consumer and retail information provider The NPD Group, Inc. has launched a new service tracking sales of prestige beauty products in China. The new offering is the first and only point-of-sale tracking service for the prestige beauty industry in that country, covering the fragrance, make-up, and skincare businesses. NPD’s beauty tracking in China complements the firm’s expanding portfolio of beauty tracking businesses in the U.S., France, and Italy.
Subscribers to the new service will receive quarterly reports with monthly breakouts of sales volume and market share at the category, brand, and product level available from January 2007. Item-level information is available for select products. The service also tracks new launches and sales of products by attribute, such as “whitening.” Data are being collected from a leader panel of 32 stores in six cities across China, with plans to expand to more than 50 department stores in 10 cities next year.
Armed with timely information on what is selling and where, subscribers will be able to monitor their business and competitors’. Critical information on emerging trends will allow them to identify opportunities in the rapidly expanding Chinese market, guiding product development, sales, and marketing.
“Business opportunities in China are exploding, particularly in the luxury goods market, and NPD is pleased to be able to offer the information that our clients need to make fact-based business decisions and capitalize on the growth trend,” said Soizick Porte, director of business development for NPD. “NPD information helps businesses determine where and how to invest in the market, and it can also help them to protect their investment and continue to grow their businesses once they are there.”
With the new service, NPD announced that it has also opened an office in Beijing and named Edward Wang as manager of the beauty business in China. In the role, Wang will oversee sales, client development, and operations. Before joining NPD, he was a consultant to the firm and a director at another market research company, based in China; he has more than 10 years experience in the research industry.
“NPD is committed to continuing to serve our beauty clients with global information services,” said Claude Charbit, NPD president, global beauty. “This latest launch extends our coverage to some of the most important markets in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and it is an important step forward in our strategy to continue meeting the information needs of beauty businesses worldwide.”
About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,600 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, visit www.npd.com.