영국 명품 화장품 브랜드 버버리가 한국에서 곧 철수할 것으로 보인다.
2011년 롯데 백화점 잠실점에 입점한 이래 동 백화점의 대전점과 소공점에 입점했던 버버리 뷰티가 최근 실적 악화에 따라 소공점을 제외하고 모두 철수하였으며, 이에 대해 버버리 뷰티의 수입처 하이코스는 별다른 해명을 내놓고 있지 않지만 업계 관계자들은 실적악화에 따른 조치라 평하고 있다.
버버리 특유의 체크무늬가 새겨져 있어 관심을 끌었던 버버리 화장품은 실제로 “노세일”을 고집하던 브랜드 답지 않게 1+1 행사를 진행하기도 하였고, 패밀리 세일 기간에는 전제품을 1만원이하 또는 1만원대에 판매하기도 하여 재고소진의 목적이 아니냐는 추측을 불러일으켰다.
이번 철수가 성사된다면, 이는 버버리 패션 브랜드의 입지 약화 또한 여실히 보여주는 사례가 될 것으로 업계 관계자들은 내다봤다.
전자공시에 따르면 버버리는 회계연도 2013년에 30%를 웃도는 영업이익 감소를 기록하였다.
하이코스 관계자는 “내부적으로 더 알아봐야 한다,” 며 대전점 철수는 영업전략에 따른 조치라고 주장했다.
버버리 철수는 또한 한국의 화장품 시장의 재편을 보여주는 사례가 될 수도 있다.
“언론에서 가격폭리 등에 대해 문제를 제기해 왔었고, 직구나 병행수입 등이 가격 정책을 흔들고 있으며, 이미 시장은 포화상태인데다, 경기불황 또한 만만치 않습니다” 화장품 마케터 윤수만의 직언이다.
30대 학원교사로 화장품 매니아이자 인정받는 블로거인 이씨는 버버리가 엄청나게 빠른 속도로 변화하고 있는 한국 화장품 시장에 적응하지 못했다고 꼬집으며 “지속적으로 신상품을 내놓고, 계속 리패키징을 통해 사람들의 구매욕을 자극했어야 했는데 그 부분이 매우 미약했다,” 고 했다.
버버리 이전에도 한국에서 철수한 기업들은 꽤 된다.
미국의 화장품 회사 에이본은 작년 3월 철수했으며 헬레나 루빈스타인과 지방시는 면세점을 통한 판매를 하고 있다. 프랑스의 명품 기업 입생로랑도 다시 한국의 백화점을 통한 판매를 개시하는데 거의 10년이 걸리기도 했다. 그 외에 백화점 입점을 하지도 못하고 판매를 중단한 회사는 훨씬 많다.
<관련 영문기사>
Burberry Beauty expected to pull out from Korea
Slow sales, declining brand power spark withdrawal just two years after launch
The cosmetic division of the British luxury brand Burberry is likely to pull out of Korea after suffering anemic sales for more than two years as Hicos, its Korean importer, appears to be ready to shutter the brand, industry sources told The Korea Herald.
Only a single domestic outlet still operates at Lotte Department store in downtown Seoul after the shop in Lotte’s Daejeon branch was closed last month.
Once notorious for refusing discounts, Burberry Beauty has recently been offering various promotions including buy-one-get-one-free campaigns -- sales tactics that it had snubbed in the past on the grounds that they were beneath its brand.
At a recent Hicos Family Sale event for the friends and families of Burberry Beauty employees, products were sold at 20 percent of the original price.
All this appeared to be in stark contrast in November 2011 when the brand first opened shop at Lotte Department Store‘s Jamsil branch to much fanfare.
Success had seemed to be inevitable, as Koreans had in the past been obsessed with the signature tartan pattern that defined Burberry. This same pattern was used for Burberry Beauty’s products.
But since then, the brand has managed to add only two additional stores, in Daejeon and in Sogong-dong, Seoul.
Those in the cosmetics and designer industries say that the pullout, if materialized, may go on to signal that the Burberry brand itself is losing steam in Korea.
“Burberry has been going stale for quite some time here,” said one industry source.
As such, the brand power of its sister company Burberry fashion department has been less than helpful, as the fashion label’s operating profit has tumbled by nearly 40 percent between April 2012 and March 2013, compared to the year before.
“Nothing has been decided about our future and we can confirm nothing,” said a Hicos spokesperson, insisting that closing the Daejeon store does not imply business failure.
But she also admitted that it has yet to map out any new business plans for reinvigorating the brand.
Burberry Beauty‘s imminent departure signals that Korea is no longer easy game for foreign designer brands.
“The odds are stacked against them, ranging from the media criticism over overpricing, direct online purchases that are eating into their profit, market saturation and last but not least, a bad economy,” said Yoon Soo-man, a freelance cosmetic product marketer.
Lee Mi-yeon, a thirty-something shopper who frequently browses the cosmetics section of department stores, advised for brands to work harder to gain recognition in Korea where trends come and go at breakneck speed.
“Burberry has failed to make the effort to stay ahead, such as by regularly releasing new items or repackaging its products,” she added.
Burberry won’t be the only overseas designer brand forced out of the Korean market.
U.S. beauty care giant AVON withdrew in early 2013, while Helena Rubinstein and Givenchy have reduced distribution to duty-free shops. For French luxury brand Yves Saint Laurent, it took nearly 10 years to rethink its strategy in Korea and make a recent comeback in Korea.
By Bae Ji-sook
(
baejisook@heraldcorp.com)
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