Indonesia’s Cosmetics Market
As personal incomes in Indonesia are rising quickly thanks to the country’s rapid economic
development, the market for cosmetics is definitely one to watch. Beauty and skincare products,
even more than many other fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), are set to benefit from consumers’
increasing ability to afford everyday luxuries. While sales of cosmetics have grown fast over the past
years already, there is a lot of untapped potential as Indonesia’s population grows in numbers and in
affluence. Male consumers feature increasingly on the radar of cosmetic firms worldwide, and in
Indonesia this segment of the market is just beginning to take off.
The allure of the domestic market notwithstanding, Indonesia is also a significant exporter
of cosmetics
Nationwide sales of cosmetics increased by almost 15% from 8.5 trillion RP in 2011 to 9.76 trillion RP
in 2012, according to figures from the Ministry of Industry. Based on estimates, Indonesian
consumers continued to increase their spending on cosmetics at a similar pace in 2013, despite a
depreciating Rupiah and accelerating inflation raising concerns about the national economy. With
both personal incomes and consumer aspirations on the rise, the market holds ample potential for
long-term growth. Strong demand is attracting increasing imports of cosmetics from abroad,
especially for premium products. Imports rose steeply from 1.87 trillion RP in 2011 to 2.44 trillion RP
in 2012 and increased further to an estimated 3.17 trillion RP in 2013, the ministry’s data shows.
Beauty trends and new consumers
Apart from Indonesia’s robust economic growth, current beauty trends encourage the use of
skincare products. As in other Asian countries, having flawless and bright skin is seen as a particularly
important hallmark of beauty in Indonesia, both in men and women. Promulgated though
advertising campaigns, the fair-skin beauty ideal reflects in TV shows and on magazine covers and
resonates through social media among the country’s young and internet-savvy population.
Rural areas lag far behind urban centers in terms of per-capita consumption of cosmetics, but they
are catching up quickly as retail networks expand beyond major cities and as new consumers enter
the market. Improving infrastructure and logistics are also helping companies penetrate rural areas.
An extensive survey by market research firm Nielsen found that sales of cosmetics in urban areas
increased by 9.4% year-on-year in the first half of 2013, while in rural regions, sales boomed by
27.5%. The difference in growth can be partly attributed to the fact that many inhabitants of rural
areas have yet to become regular consumers of basic skincare and make-up products, which have
long become everyday essentials for more affluent urban dwellers. Cosmetic makers will want to
focus their urban marketing effort on higher-end and specialist products.
The other major untapped market segment is that of Indonesian men. Cosmetics companies have
reported sales growth in their male product lines at a multiple of the growth rates seen for female
products. Facial cleansers and moisturizers as well as anti-ageing solutions are becoming increasingly
popular among men in Indonesia, as targeted advertising campaigns featuring bikers and male
celebrities seek to dispel the notion that using them is effeminate.
Local players in a global market
Global cosmetic firms are expanding their presence in Indonesia, where consumer goods giant
Unilever has used its longstanding local presence to assume a leading position in the skincare
segment. In addition to marketing its Pond’s-branded skincare products, Unilever Indonesia has
established a local brand around the Indonesian word Citra (Image). France-based L'Oréal sees so
much potential in Indonesia that it picked West Java as the location for its largest factory worldwide.
The opening of the plant in November 2012 followed annual sales growth of 30% in Indonesia for
several years running.
Local companies are keen to defend their own share of the home market with a number of highly
successful brands. Leading Indonesian cosmetic producers are PT Mustika Ratu and the Martha
Tilaar Group, which sells a range of brands under its subsidiary PT Martina Berto. There is no
apparent bias towards local brands – quite the opposite, in fact. A 2013 consumer survey by Credit
Suisse found that while Indonesians “prefer local brands for essential items, *…+ appetite for foreign
brands is higher for discretionary items such as fashion apparel and cosmetics, especially among
high income earners.”
The allure of the domestic market notwithstanding, Indonesia is also a significant exporter of
cosmetics. In promoting their products abroad, major brands highlight their use of indigenous
natural ingredients and their roots in traditional herbal treatment and make a selling point of their
claimed expertise on ‘eastern skin’.
ASEAN integration ups pressure on local producers
Indonesia is home to hundreds of cosmetics producers, many of which are family-run small
businesses. More and more of these firms are looking to ship their goods beyond national borders,
and falling trade barriers across the region are making it easier for them to do so. The ASEAN
Harmonized Cosmetic Regulatory Scheme, implemented in 2008, standardizes rules on the safety
and quality of cosmetics across the ten countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Notably, it requires national authorities to accept products that have been registered in any other
member country, thereby tearing down non-tariff trade barriers that would in the past be misused
to shield domestic producers from foreign competition. In addition, free trade agreements mandate
a gradual reduction of import tariffs.
Indonesia’s Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) reserves the right to monitor imported
products for their safety and quality credentials, but cannot prevent increasingly tight integration in
the regional cosmetics market even if it wanted to. Rising cross-border trade makes for a more
competitive environment, which entails both challenges and opportunities for local producers. It
certainly ups the pressure to make cosmetics of high quality at low cost. This should set the stage for
market consolidation in Indonesia, with the aim to produce some strong players that can compete at
the regional and eventually the global level. It should also inspire increased strategic or equity
investment from abroad and cooperation between Indonesian and foreign cosmetic companies.
Growth prospects a strong case for investment
Increasing competition cannot take the shine off Indonesia’s cosmetic sector. Strong demand growth
from first-time users among the male and rural population as well as increasingly expensive tastes
and rising affluence in urban centers make the country a highly attractive market, while the
prospects of expanding into ASEAN afford local producers the opportunity to reach millions of
additional consumers.
Newest Regulation on Exporting Cosmetics to Indonesia
For its vast population with relatively good purchasing power, Indonesia has been one of the most
targeted countries for export. Recent studies show that in the next decade, Indonesia is expected to
be in the top 5 or even 3 of the greatest market in Asia-Pacific. However, because of the massive flow
of imported goods to Indonesia in the last 5 years—especially after the booming of online
shopping—the government of Indonesia has issued stricter regulations to protect its citizens. This is
particularly for goods that is directly consumed or utilized by consumers, such as food, skin-care
products, drugs, and cosmetics. In short, only registered importers with legal certifications from the
government of Indonesia are able to export their products to the country. In this article, we will
primarily discuss about the regulations of exporting cosmetics and skin-care products to Indonesia
based on the latest bylaw issued by the government of Indonesia.
The Initials Actions Importers Should Do
Establish Connection with Local Agent or Representative. To be able to export cosmetics and skincare
products, The Government of Indonesia makes a new policy that the imported company should
have a local agent to represent the company’s existence in Indonesia. This local agent will then help
the company to obtain an import license. This import license is a must in order to bring the
company’s products into Indonesian market. Without the presence of the local agent, it is impossible
to register your company under the list of certified import company.
Local Agent for Distributor Permit Licensed
The next step is the local agent should also obtain a distributor permit which enables them to receive
the products from the source company. The agent will then be called as the official distributor of
your products. In the past, citizens of Indonesia could privately buy cosmetics or skin-care products
directly to the company or its distributors overseas. He or she then could sell the products and cut
the distribution channels so that the products they sold were cheaper than those sold by the official
distributor. However, under the new rule, this action is considered illegal. Strict rule is applied for
cosmetics and skin-care products because there are overwhelming faux products available in the
market. Under the new law, it is expected that only registered products imported by registered
companies are able to enter Indonesian market.
Registering Every Product to Indonesian Drugs & Food Control Agency (BPOM)
Cosmetics and skin-care products are under the category of drugs and therefore, every company
who wants to export those products to Indonesia must be registered by the agency that is called as
BPOM in Indonesia. Each product must be registered separately and the BPOM will issue a
notification along with a code or number that must be printed in each of the product’s packaging.
The BPOM registration number is valid until 3 years and the company can extend the permit
afterwards. However, there is a rule that to keep it valid until 3 years, the imported company should
import the product every 6 months.
Meeting the National Standard of Indonesia (SNI)
Again, in terms of consumer goods, specific standards must be met by the import company. Every
product entering Indonesian market should follow the standardizations that the government has set,
including some tests that the product should go through, the production process, specific labeling
techniques and requirements, as well as packaging method. All ingredients and product descriptions
stated on the packaging should also be translated into proper and standardized Indonesian. Any
misleading information in the package and in advertising will be considered as violating Indonesian
law.
Paying the Import Duties
Generally, the import duties for cosmetic and skin-care products are 10 percent.
By following the above step-by-step guidance, you are one step closer to be a certified cosmetic and
skin-care importer in Indonesia. A consideration should be put in mind that those regulations are
made to protect the Indonesian consumers and local cosmetic and skin-care industries. There are
approximately 700 cosmetic and skin-care companies in all over Indonesia, which make the
competition tighter. To be able to survive in Indonesian market, building trust to both the
government as the policy maker and the customers as your target market is a must.
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