今週は月曜日からマレーシアでで仕事をしています。コロナを挟んで５年ぶりに来たマレーシアは、サロンのビジネスもコロナ前の水準まで戻りつつあるようですが、インフレが続いており物価高騰に悩むのは日本と同様
とはいえ５年ぶりにお得意先へ訪問すればどこも大歓迎ムードで、私が説明する商品を熱心に聞いていただけます。
今回マレーシアでは7社のお得意との商談をしましたが、７社の得意分野が異なる為、そのお得意先に合わせて我々が商品をアレンジして紹介します。
ヘアケア全般、旬の髪質改善関連、ツール関係、一般市場の向けの商品やOEM等・・・
最前線で感じることは物価の上昇とお得意先の反応。我々が紹介する新製品は当然のことながら、昔と比べて価格は上がっています。その商品のカテゴリごとの相場や値頃感があり、例えばパーマ液なら輸出価格で◯◯円までとか、現地のサロンへ納入価格が〇〇円までとか、我々もカテゴリごとにある程度現地で通用する相場は理解しています。一方で直近の新製品は原材料などの高騰によりリニューアル発売された商品も多数あります。パッケージ変更や増量、配合成分のグレードアップや追加配合、付加価値も十二分についた状態なのですが、価格が従来商品と比較すると１５％UPとか２０％UPとか・・・相場を完全に超えてしまっている価格設定が多い状況です。この場合、価格相応の付加価値を説明しなければなりません・・・がすべての商品がそうとはいかず・・・本当に商売は我々の思う通りに進むことの方が少ないように感じます(笑)
長年現地でお世話になっている日本人の通訳さんに今回も仕事を依頼し、５年ぶりに再会すると早速、当社に紹介したい現地の化粧品販売会社の社長がいらっしゃるとの申し出があり、その社長にお会いしました。
実はこれ絶妙のタイミングなんです！
というのも、日本の新興スキンケアメーカーさんから東南アジアでの販売代理店を探してほしいと依頼を受けており、現地で情報収集をしながら飛び込もうと思っていたタイミングだっただけに驚きました。
お互いの会社と商売の内容を説明し合いながら今回の新興メーカーさんの商品説明を行い、相手方の反応はかなり興味が高い感じでした。この内容を日本に持ち帰りメーカーさんと具体的にこれからの進め方について協議するのが楽しみでワクワクします。
今回はこの辺で！
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Business trips to Southeast Asia ①
October 27, 2023
I have been working in Malaysia since Monday this week. After 5 years since my last visit to Malaysia after Corona, the salon business seems to be returning to the pre-Corona level, but inflation continues to rise and prices are soaring, just like in Japan.
However, when I visited clients for the first time in five years, they were all in a very welcoming mood and eagerly listened to my explanation of the products.
This time, I had business meetings with seven clients in Malaysia, and since each of the seven companies has a different area of expertise, I arranged and introduced products according to the client’s needs.
Hair care in general, seasonal hair improvement, tools, products for the general market, OEM, etc…
What I feel on the front lines is the rise in prices and the reaction of our clients. Naturally, the prices of new products we introduce have risen compared to the past. For example, we understand that the export price of perm solution is limited to ◯◯ yen, and the delivery price to local salons is limited to ◯◯ yen, and we also have some understanding of the market prices applicable to each category. On the other hand, there are many new products that have been renewed recently due to a sharp rise in raw material prices. The packaging has been changed, the volume has been increased, the ingredients have been upgraded or added, and there is more than enough added value, but the price has increased by 15% or 20% compared to the previous product…in many cases, the pricing has completely exceeded the market price. In this case, I have to explain the added value that is commensurate with the price…but not all products are like that…it really seems that business rarely goes the way we want it to (laughs).
I asked the Japanese interpreter who has been helping me locally for many years to do the job again, and when I met him again for the first time in five years, he immediately offered to meet the president of a local cosmetics sales company that he would like to introduce to our company.
In fact, the timing of this meeting was exquisite!
I had been asked by an emerging Japanese skincare manufacturer to find a sales agent in Southeast Asia, and I was surprised at the timing, as I was planning to dive in while gathering information in the region.
While explaining each other’s company and business, I explained the emerging manufacturer’s products to her, who seemed quite interested. I am looking forward to bringing this information back to Japan and discussing with the manufacturer on how to proceed in the future.
This time around!