An enterprise that reaches annual sales of $530 billion worldwide, the cosmetics and skin care industry is one that steadily toes the line between lucrative and ever-evolving. A market-driven business whose bottom line is directly affected by consumer demand, the storage and logistics of health and beauty products requires a facility that possesses a combination of skill, adaptability, and technology.
Here is what to look for when searching for warehousing for cosmetics:
Industry Knowledge
Finding a logistics partner that understands the health and beauty industry can be pivotal to scaling your business. Ask yourself, do they understand my product and how to design a supply chain solution that supports my growth objectives? Do they have experience managing large e-commerce orders and understand the flexibility needed during peak season and promotional periods? Finally, you should ask your potential logistics partner about efficiencies that can be gained from their experience with cosmetics logistics.
- Can labor be shared?
- What inventory control measures have they adopted based on their experience with other cosmetic companies?
- If delivering to the same customer or retailer, what freight consolidation options are available?
- what are their retail compliance standards?
Safety
There are distinct regulations that need to be in place when warehousing cosmetics and health and beauty products. Some cosmetics, such as nail polish and nail polish remover, contain flammable ingredients that must be cautiously transported and warehoused. Other cosmetics, such as makeup kits and lipstick, must be handled with extra care because they are comprised of fragile material such as brushes and mirrors. When selecting a logistics provider, your company should feel confident that they are well versed in the nuances of the cosmetics and personal care industry.
Security
It is a safe bet to acknowledge that many health and beauty products are expensive. Being large contributors to this aforementioned $530 billion dollar industry, high-value items need to be protected. Proper logging, tracking, and surveillance of inventory are essential components to a secure warehousing facility.
Location
Accessibility to sizeable populations is a feature to consider when searching for warehousing for cosmetics. Having inventory in close proximity to your customers reduces transit time and ensures you get your product to market as quickly and efficiently as possible. Take Columbus, our corporate headquarters, for example. The central Ohio region has become a major logistics hub that reaches 46% of the U.S. population within a 10-hour drive.
E-Commerce Capabilities
While purchasing cosmetics and health and beauty products at brick and mortar locations remains relevant, the emergence of e-commerce provides companies and customers an additional way to have their orders processed. As your business scales, it is important to identify a logistics partner that can support your e-commerce business and deliver cost-saving solutions through labor efficiency, parcel shipping, and supply chain automation.
Flexible Space
The health and beauty industry depends very much on supply and demand. Because it is one of the few lines of business that has a proven history of being "recession-proof," forecasting a spike in demand for cosmetics can be tricky. A desirable warehouse is one that can accommodate the fluctuating need for product and the factors that play into it: holidays, seasons and shelf-life of the items. Take into consideration how quickly you need the warehouse to respond and if your demands are within their capabilities.