Commodity sample "circle fans" young people are difficult to distinguish between true and false rights protection
Through online shopping and purchasing, you can use samples of big-name skin care products for a few dozen yuan. This is Han Yujie's recent favorite consumption method.
In recent years, samples of big-brand skin care products have captured a wave of consumers like Han Yujie.
Samples are often referred to as "trial packs". They are products launched by brand merchants to promote new products, attract customers to try them out, or offer promotional offers. Generally, they are not specially sold, but are mainly given to consumers with formal wear.
Today, samples have not only become "net red" in the beauty industry, but also gradually formed a new retail format, and various sample collection stores have become popular.
The sample collection store Harmay Huamei was reported to have a single store valuation of as high as 1 billion yuan. On the second-hand trading platform, the sales volume of sellers who resell all kinds of samples is also very impressive.
High cost performance is the main reason why most consumers choose samples.
"For example, a 50ml bottle of a big brand face cream costs nearly 2,000 yuan. If you buy a small sample, you only need about 100 yuan for a 5ml sample. Buying 10 small samples is a full size, which is much cheaper." Han Yujie added Wechat groups that share various sample purchase links also often go to sample collection stores to shop.
Shichen, a sample enthusiast, also believes that "the content of the sample is the same as the formal dress, but the price is half lower, so it must be a good deal to buy the sample."
Some people call the purchase of samples "exquisite and poor", but Shichen disagrees with this, "Why buy expensive things when there are more cost-effective things? Buying samples shows that young people are more cost-effective when shopping."
Samples also provide consumers with more opportunities for trial and error.
Consumer Li Xin likes to try all kinds of new skin care products. She will buy samples first, and after using them, she feels good before buying formal clothes.
Li Xin also likes the small capacity and portability of the sample. "A sample is only a few milliliters, it can be used up quickly, and it is not easy to oxidize. It can be thrown away after use, and it does not take up space."
"Compared with large packaging, the capacity of small samples is more suitable for young people." Shichen said that young people often like freshness, and they will get tired of the same item after using it for a long time, and want to try new products.
Consumers' love for small samples has also allowed businesses to see new profit points.
Many shopping malls have appeared in the sample collection device, consumers can receive samples after registering as a brand member, and the front of the installation is often crowded with people.
The Tmall shopping website also launched the "U First" channel, where a limited number of samples of different brands are launched every day.
A reporter from China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily noticed that on the "U Xian" channel, more than 5,000 orders have been sold for a 1.5 ml sample of eye cream from a well-known cosmetic brand priced at 19.9 yuan.
In addition to the top sample collection stores, many small and medium-sized sample collection stores also appear in the streets.
Wang Jiapei opened a sample collection store as early as 2017. In a comprehensive shopping mall with the largest traffic in a third-tier city, she rented a counter of more than ten square meters and joined a sample sales brand.
"I wanted to do a sample business because I saw that many girls on business trips needed portable skin care products." Wang Jiapei introduced that the brand she joined has hundreds of franchisees across the country, and she needs to pay a deposit of 10,000 yuan to the brand to ensure no Ordering from other channels, the amount of each order is not less than 10,000 yuan.
The franchised brands will receive various samples from various counters and other channels in Hong Kong and other places. "The first thing to join a brand is to ensure that the source of goods is genuine, and the other is to ensure continuous supply." Wang Jiapei said that if there is no dedicated channel, it is difficult to Guarantee the continuous and stable supply of samples, "The samples are all given by the counter with formal clothes, and the number is limited. For our franchisees, it is not about what customers like to sell, but what samples the brand can give us to sell. ".
According to Mo Li, who has been engaged in cosmetics purchasing for many years, samples usually appear in counters or duty-free shops.
At present, most of the samples circulating in the market come from the above two channels. One is that after the salesperson of the brand buys the full dress at the purchase price and receives the free sample, the sample and the full dress are sold separately. The salesperson will also regularly organize the samples that have not been given away through It is sold through its own channels; the other is that the purchasing agent will obtain samples for resale by purchasing genuine products at special counters and duty-free shops.
Wang Jiapei's store is not big, but when the business is at its best, the daily turnover is nearly 10,000 yuan.
The profit of purchasing agents will be much higher. Mo Li said that if you buy samples of genuine products, the profit can reach 100%.
In fact, the sample is not the real product, and the packaging will also be marked as "not for sale".
According to Mo Li, there is currently no brand-authorized sample collection store to sell samples. "The packaging of samples is generally relatively simple, and the ingredients are not indicated. Some factories will use the received sample packaging to fill fake products."
After a reporter from China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily entered "sample" on a wholesale website, many cosmetics factories were selling samples. A certain big-name lipstick sold by a merchant is only sold for 6.8 yuan, and the words "recruiting agents, one-piece delivery" and so on.
Molly said that the above products are generally fake.
In order to avoid buying fake products, Jia Zhen, who works in a certain institution, only buys from the purchasing agent, the counter lady at the counter, or the online store where she bought it, but even if she is very careful, she still "steps on the thunder".
She purchased a 12ml quarantine sample from a Japanese brand on the small program KuaiTuanTuan. However, when she consulted the official customer service of the brand, the other party said that the brand has not produced a 12ml quarantine sample at present.
Jia Zhen communicated with the head of the delegation to expect a refund, but the other party never replied to her.
Jia Zhen noticed that more than 1,600 people participated in the group purchase of this product, each product was 60 yuan, and the total sales amounted to more than 90,000 yuan.
Jia Zhen said that the head of the group is the owner of a Taobao online store with 20,000 fans. "Because I bought something in this Taobao store, I thought it was very reliable, so I followed the group."
Jia Zhen found the customer service of Kuai Tuan Tuan, hoping to assist in rights protection, but the customer service replied: "It is recommended to negotiate with the head of the group." Rights protection is in trouble, she said: "From another perspective, it also reflects that the so-called group buying tools do not supervise products. ."
Jia Zhen said: "Although the appearance of samples has provided us with a more cost-effective choice, the current regulatory system is not perfect, and it is difficult to safeguard the rights and interests of consumers."
(At the request of the interviewee, Mo Li is a pseudonym in the text)
China Youth Daily, China Youth Daily reporter Zhang Min Source: China Youth Daily