17Beauty is a Chinese startup that has launched single-person make-up booths in Shanghai, Beijing, and Wuhan where customers pay to rent products rather than buy them.
The booths are placed in high-traffic areas, such as shopping malls, airports, and subway stations, and are aimed primarily at millennial women. More than a dozen booths have been rolled out so far.
Shoppers with a 17Beauty account scan a QR code at the booth and pay on their phone to gain access. The booth includes a range of make-up items from eye shadow to foundation and lipstick, as well as skincare products, such as moisturisers, cleansers and even a face steamer. The one-person space is also equipped with a chair, dressing table, full-body mirror, hair straighteners and dryer, while customers can receive personalised make-up recommendations through a facial recognition system.
Products in the booths are from both established brands and up-and-coming players who wish to introduce their products to potential customers. Together they are worth around US$600. Limited-edition make-up kits are also available.The space itself can be personalised by the consumer who can adjust the lighting colour and choose an aroma diffuser to set the desired mood. An automated voice tells users when their session is about to end. The fee for a 15-minute session is just over $4, while 45 minutes costs $8.50.
The booths are cleaned regularly and are replenished with new make-up products every few weeks based on users’ feedback. Products are chained to prevent theft while security cameras keep watch for unusual behaviour.
17Beauty’s revenue comes from customer usage fees, advertising within the booths and partnerships with cosmetics brands. For brands, the booths are a great way to advertise their products and collect data on customers.
“Compared with other markets, China has a very clear advantage with its large population for data research or marketing,” founder Han Shuqi says. “It’s great timing for China to develop its beauty industry as people have a stronger desire to spend more money and invest more time in their personal image.”
While the 17Beauty Box provides a convenient and affordable solution for customers to apply make-up, the sharing concept has raised hygiene concerns. Disposable hygiene products are available for users if they want to make sure everything is clean before use, but there is no guarantee everyone will follow these guidelines.
Director of the Hong Kong Hair and Beauty Merchants Association and beauty training specialist Cecilia Kuk Ling-chun believes putting up instructions on the wall is not enough: “The presence of a make-up specialist is crucial. It is not a cost you can save if [a company] wishes to make this work.” A make-up specialist is able to ensure a new brush is used on each client or sanitised according to a standard procedure after each use.
However, many customers may not be prepared to pay for the extra cost that hiring a make-up specialist for each booth would incur. Even at conventional make-up counters in China or Hong Kong it is not common practice for customers to wait for shop assistants to apply the products. It remains to be seen whether the issues around hygiene will lead to changes in how the make-up booths are managed.
ADD WORKGROUP