January 19, 2021
The latest tech news to inform and inspire
- Smart perfume. Ninu Perfume unveiled what it calls the first smart perfume last week at the CES event. Called Ninu, the device allows users to make personalized fragrances. The device contains three separate scent containers that can be combined to create customized fragrances. Through the AI-powered app, users can adjust fragrances and make notes about their preferred combinations. The app also suggests new scents based on the user’s history and notes. The company says the fragrances are designed in France, are vegan and sustainably sourced.
- Tmall Global’s “perfume route.” Alibaba’s cross-border e-commerce platform Tmall Global and Alibaba majority-owned logistics company Cainiao have set up a more convenient cross-border logistics solution for niche fragrance brands popular among Chinese consumers. Called the “perfume route,” the companies have established a direct Europe-China flight that ships niche fragrances, which typically do not qualify for large-quantity shipment. In September, Tmall Global and Cainiao opened fulfillment warehouses in Europe and developed special packaging to ship small-volume fragrances by flight, since most fragrances are shipped by sea due to European regulations on perfumes’ alcohol and other flammable ingredients. The first warehouse opened in Germany and has since expanded to the Netherlands, allowing Chinese customers to receive orders within three days at the earliest, said a Tmall Global spokesperson. Niche fragrances are gaining popularity among Chinese shoppers, notes Alibaba and, as of November 2020, consumption of niche perfumes on Tmall Global has doubled since the same period the year prior.
- Shopify solutions. Tech start-up Tresl highlighted its Shopify-based customer data solution at the CES last week. The solution groups Shopify businesses’ visitors into different categories based on criteria like browsing tendencies, shopping habits and likeliness to make another purchase. By grouping shoppers together, the platform allows businesses to simplify marketing strategies by targeting groups with similar shopping habits. The subscription-based platform is available for purchase in the Shopify App Store and ranges from $79 to $239 a month. Tresl says brands using the platform have increased click-through rates on abandoned cart flows by 30%, re-engaged 20% of their loyal customers who have churned and increased sales by 40% month-over-month within the first month of using it.
- Beauty Tech Live. A top line-up of executives from the beauty brand and retail community will deliver insights, inspiration and share their approaches to beauty tech, from e-commerce to connecting with digital-native consumers, at the new virtual Beauty Tech Live event, which will take place from April 12-16. Beauty Tech Live has already announced that a number of high-level executives will speak at this pioneering event, including Lubomira Rochet, Chief Digital Officer at L’Oréal, Malina Ngai, Group Chief Operating Officer of A.S Watson Group and Chief Executive Officer of A.S. Watson (Asia & Europe), Javier Bach, Chief Operating Officer of Puig, Dr Wolfgang Baier, CEO of Luxasia and Adrien Geiger, L’Occitane Group Sustainability Officer and Director of the L’Occitane en Provence brand.
Beauty Tech Live is the first B2B Virtual Expo & Conference that will bring together tech products, solutions and services for the beauty industry in one place. It will also be a forum for executives to share new ideas, inspiration and experiences in the area of beauty tech. The event is organized by BW Confidential in partnership with the Moodie Davitt Virtual Expo Company.