Alibaba department stores break records for beauty brand sales

According to the chain’s management, the key to the success of Alibaba-owned Intime department stores has been its emphasis on digital technology.

Department store chain Intime, which since 2017 has been owned by the Chinese corporation Alibaba, has published its sales results for 2020. According to recent data, the chain has become the world leader in retail sales of 13 popular beauty brands. Sales of other brands of health and beauty products are also showing high results.

Estee Lauder, La Mer, and Lancome brands sales through stores in Intime department stores totaled more than $15.5 million (100 million yuan) for each brand. And sales of 22 other brands exceeded the $1.55 million (10 million yuan) mark.

Results were achieved even though Chinese stores were closed at the beginning of the year because of the pandemic. Even after it opened, the flow of visitors for several months was in no hurry to recover. According to Intime management, the company achieved such performance due to a commitment to implementing various digital technologies. 

After the department store chain became part of Alibaba, all 65 Intime outlets underwent digital upgrades. It included the chain getting its Miaojie app, which allowed it to communicate more effectively with customers and develop online sales. Intime has also actively used and continues to operate Alibaba’s Taobao Live platform, allowing live streaming to purchase products directly for use during live streaming. 

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