If we say that we are natural, we believe in that and give it to the consumers- Mini Sood Banerjee
Natural beauty is in and is a big thing. With consumers moving towards nature and the benefits it provides, brands have not left any stone unturned to make sure they provide the nature of the bottles to meet the increasing demands. In a conversation with Mini Sood Banerjee, Manager, Innisfree Cosmetics India, at the launch event of the 7th Innisfree store at Ambience Mall, Gurugram, she tells us the real meaning of Innisfree, the brand’s contributions and the plans they have ahead of them.
What’s Innisfree all about?
Innisfree is a combination of two words-‘ Innis’ which means an island and ‘free’ means freedom. So, it’s an island of freedom which is basically Jeju Island. We get all our ingredients from the Jeju Island which is a volcanic erupted island from where you get all the natural and rare ingredients which the other brands do not have. Innisfree is all about the harmony between natural beauty and nature.
What are your views regarding the Indian Beauty Industry going all natural and organic?
People now realise that natural and organic is essential for their skin. Women in India have started evolving with the skincare and the beauty regime on daily bases. I agree that somewhere people have got so much of exposure. They have been travelling abroad and that exposure has given them the platform to understand that what is natural and what are the benefits of natural and organic beauty. So, I think it is doing really well and that is why Innisfree has been expanding.
What is your brand’s contribution to the betterment of the society and the environment?
We are running global campaigns. So, the first campaign I would like to talk about is the Eco handkerchief campaign which we run in June every year for one month and we do that globally. We ask the customers to visit our stores and take a free eco handkerchief which is made from 100% cotton. So, we give these handkerchiefs as June is a month when sweat a lot and they use tissues. It’s better not to use tissues and save trees, save woods. Globally, we have given around 2.4 million eco handkerchiefs till now. The second campaign is the empty bottle recycling campaign. Every store has a carton where you can actually recycle the empty bottles of the used products and for that, you get a reward. In one month, a person can return 5 empty bottles and for each bottle, the reward is INR 25. The green Christmas is our third campaign. It’s not about nature but it has a little more connection with the kids in need. So, we try to help kids globally, who are in need and who need shelter. We tie up with the learning foundations every year and give a little part of the sales to that. So, next month is the green Christmas which we celebrate and these three are the major global campaigns.
What benefits can the consumers avail from your range of products?
All our products are enriched with green tea water. Our parent company, Amorepacific Corporation, has green tea farms and the Jeju Island. We do not use any filtered water in our products and I think this is the major benefit for both men and women in India as they are getting green tea water. Green tea in itself is a major anti-oxidant. It clarifies the skin, provides richness and the skin glows from within. Also, when you enter any Innisfree store, the whole ambience is green and natural. We have a vertical garden in every store so there is clean oxygen. If we say that we are natural, we believe and give that to the consumers.
What are your expansion plans for the brand?
We have already launched 7 stores till now and we are launching another 8 stores next year. So, we are expanding to new cities like Chennai and Bangalore. We are also looking at Delhi and Mumbai to open up new stores. As for the online presence, we are already available at Nykaa which has given us double growth within six months. So, we will look out for more online platforms. Within a span of 4 years, we have received a lot of love from the customers and it should all go well.
