As reported by market research and data analytics firm Statista, the cosmetics market in the United States reached $18 billion in 2022, and “the Statista Consumer Market Outlook estimates that revenue will increase further by 2027 to reach over $22 billion.” Further, the US population is estimated to reach 334.91 million in 2023, and Gen Z comprises approximately one-quarter of that population, also reported by Statista.
The purchasing power of this generation is formidable and of great interest to marketers looking to target those with disposable income slated for cosmetics and personal beauty care products. Recently, K-beauty brand A’pieu has expanded into the US market, specifically targeting Gen Z consumers.
To learn more about the specific ways that A’pieu had formulated its products and brand strategy to appeal to Gen Z consumers, as well as their plans to appeal to the US cosmetics and personal beauty care product shopper, CosmeticsDesign spoke with Jay Ahn, CEO of Able C&C US, Inc. Able C&C Co., Ltd. is the parent company of Able C&C US, Inc. and is a Korea-based cosmetics manufacturer who controls the A’pieu brand.
About A’pieu
The A’pieu beauty brand launched online in February 2008 and opened its flagship store in April 2011. Offering a variety of makeup, skin care, and hair and body products, the brand’s reasonably priced product offerings are currently available in twenty countries across Asia, North and South America, and Europe. In 2020, the brand saw over two million cumulative sales of its Madecassoside Series products and over three million cumulative sales from its Juicy-Pang makeup line. To date, A’pieu products have seen $35 million in annual sales with an average yearly growth rate of 18% from 2015 to 2019.
“What is really unique about A’pieu is that we provide a total and complete face care regimen, from protective skincare to color,” said Ahn. “Very few brands can claim that they can protect and rebuild your skin barrier from environmental stressors as well as be that fashion-forward splash of color for your eyes, lips, and cheeks, but A’pieu can,” he elaborated.
A’pieu’s product offerings specifically target the younger Gen Z consumer. Said Ahn, “A’pieu is particularly focused on the youthful needs of skin protection from the sun, stress, and of course, acne,” and their product development team has historically focused on formulating products that are specifically indicated to meet the needs of younger skin.
The A’pieu development team has crafted product lines with ingredients like Madecassoside (MA), a pentacyclic triterpene isolated from the Centella asitica (L.) plant known for its anti-inflammatory properties that are particularly beneficial for acne-prone or photodamaged skin types. “Our skincare lineup of sunscreens and soothing madecassoside was a collaborative effort between our world-class R&D team and a marketing group that is immersed in the dynamic skin needs and trends of the Gen-Z consumer,” Ahn explained.
The relationship between A’pieu and Gen Z
The choice to expand into the US market was relatively straightforward, Ahn maintained, given the youthful nature of the brand’s target audience and growing popularity on social media.
The same focus on the appeal to the Gen Z consumer is applied to skin care product formulation is also applied to A’pieu cosmetic products, he shared further, adding that “our new 2-in-1 Juicy Pang Water Blusher is trending on both TikTok and Instagram for its vivid colors and unique delivery applicator.”
As the brand has already identified in its marketing and expansion strategies, “the Gen-Z consumer market is growing in influence and disposable income, and further, there is plenty of evidence that suggests skin maintenance is starting at an earlier age, and Gen-Zers are willing to spend to achieve those goals,” particularly with US consumers, said Ahn. Therefore, he added, the expansion into the US market is based mainly on the “enormous potential and buzz in our social media engagement, particularly around our Water Blusher, which is unique in form, color and function.”
Although the brand is still early into the launch phase of placing A’pieu products directly into the hands of US consumers, “we have high hopes for the A’pieu brand in the US market for 2023 and beyond,” Ahn concluded. “This is our first brand that truly caters to the skin and makeup needs of the Gen-Z consumer, finally giving Able C&C a foothold within this ever-influential demographic.”
