Emami warms up for winter with new products

In an attempt to boost sales during winter months, Emami — the Rs 700-crore FMCG major — will foray into the soap market with a glycerine soap, Emami Pure Skin, and a petroleum jelly, Emami Vasocare. It is also planning brand extensions and a national rollout of its 'Malai Kesar' creams and 'Boroplus' lotion. All the rollouts will be completed by the mid-month.

"We are launching glycerine soaps and petroleum jelly targeting the winter months with the clear objective to establish ourselves in the skincare market. Both the products are herbal with essential herbs like tulsi, aloe vera, and chamomile," says Priti Sureka, director, Emami. Both the categories are currently dominated by single brands such as Pears and Vaseline respectively.

While Emami Pure Skin will be launched in South India in the first phase, Emami Vasocare is for North, East and West India.

The glycerine soap market, say analysts, is pegged at Rs 350 crore and growing at 10 per cent annually. The overall soaps market has been growing at 12 per cent annually and is pegged at Rs 6,500 crore.

While the premium soap category is dominated by brands such as Dove and Pears from Hindustan Unilever (HUL), and Cinthol from Godrej Consumer Products, at the mass level there is intense competition among brands from companies such as Henkel India, Wipro, Reckitt Benckiser (India), Nirma as well as HUL and Godrej.

Emami Vasocare will be available in 10 gm pack and 25 gm pack priced at Rs 5 and at Rs 16 respectively, while Emami Pure Skin is priced at Rs 23 for 75 gm pack.

Emami, which launched Malai Kesar cold cream last year and had clocked revenues of Rs 8-9 crore during the winter months, is targeting sales of close to Rs 17 crore this season. Again, Boroplus lotion, launched two years ago, is expected to clock Rs 20-25 crore this winter season, up from Rs 15 crore till last year.

"To push impulse purchase, we are going to introduce 10 gm pack for Rs 5 for Vasocare, while in Boroplus lotion a 20-25 gm pack would cost Rs 5," Sureka adds.

The company's Sona Chandi Chyawanprash will be revamped this year with new packaging, done by UK-based Evolve Creatives, to make the product look more contemporary and convenient to carry and store. It will also introduce a Rs 3-spoon pack for the chyawanprash as a new initiative this winter.