Rivalling Shanghai or Shenzhen in its economic might according to the Milken Institute (a US economic research institute), the city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, is a prosperous and vibrant place where culture and commerce mix. Due to the city's increasing job opportunities, wages and gross regional domestic product (GRDP), AMOREPACIFIC has strategically selected this city to focus on as it expands its business scope across Western China. In this article, we're shining a light on Pei Yaling (裴亚玲), a winner of 2015 ABC Awards who is in charge of Sulwhasoo counters in the Southwest China area.

Wangfujing Department Store is located on Chunxi Road, a popular shopping district in Chengdu. The first floor of this department store houses LANEIGE, Mamonde and Sulwhasoo counters. The Sulwhasoo was opened in September 2014, surrounded by the apprehensive faces of the department store officials. "We opened this store on the understanding that we would close it right away if we couldn't meet the proposed sales requirement. That led to us suffering from poor site allocation when holding main events in the early days," Pei said, and added that this was the toughest moment in her career at Sulwhasoo.

However, Pei, who has 10 years' experience working in the beauty industry, had faith that Sulwhasoo, the brand based on Asian wisdom and ginseng, can satisfy Chinese customers. This is also the reason that this "beauty expert" decided to join Sulwhasoo.

"It was my friend who first told me about the Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream. This is when I found out just how fond Chinese customers are of Sulwhasoo. After that, I started to feel interested in Sulwhasoo."

Even though Pei had confidence, her BAs, whose job it was to manage the brand store together, were unfamiliar with the Sulwhasoo brand. To rectify this, Pei felt an urgent need to build a good brand perception and sense of belonging. That's why she began to throw herself into analyzing products and customers. When the BAs met their targets, she gave ample encouragement and reward. This in turn set off a virtuous circle, with inexperienced BAs gaining confidence and a sense of pride in the brand, which attracted beauty consultants from rival brand stores. "That was the tipping point when customers really became aware of Sulwhasoo and helped us get good sales. I think this was really meaningful, as it meant that customers could really feel the passion and the trust of the BAs – and that they responded to that."

In addition, the Sulwhasoo in Chengdu Wangfujing Department Store has had its own special marketing program since it opened: namely, a monthly home visit of customers. "We began this program with the idea that we may turn newly visited customers into regular customers who would remain loyal to the brand. This strategy has truly distinguished us compared to other brands, which only provide general phone counseling."

BAs usually visit their regular customers on the weekend. The fact that customers don't mind bringing the BAs into their houses reflects the level of trust that's been built up. And, indeed, the willingness of BAs to visit customers on the weekend is down to Pei's efforts to build up their affection towards the brand. Even though the program doesn't directly lead customers to buy Sulwhasoo products, it is certain that these efforts build a positive image in the customer's mind.

Even though it hasn't been only two years since it opened, the Sulwhasoo in Chengdu Wangfujing Department Store is still developing. Pei said her goal for the year is to increase annual sales to CNY 26 million (about KRW 4.6 billion) so that the counter can achieve the third highest sales of all Sulwhasoo in China. Furthermore, she showed her ambition to make Sulwhasoo win third place in the Chinese cosmetics markets. "Sulwhasoo is the brand suitable for Asian skin types and, thanks to the Korean Wave, it has become more popular. That's why Sulwhasoo has become so well known in Southwest China as well. I will keep doing my best so more customers can approach Sulwhasoo products."

Thanks to the synergy effects of high-quality products and a sales manager with great leadership, Sulwhasoo is writing a new chapter of the brand's history in Chengdu. With Pei Yaling's great tenacity for turning new customers into regular customers, we expect that Sulwhasoo will become more popular in Chengdu and we look forward to spread the Asian Beauty all across the world with wonderful Asian Beauty Creators not only in China, but also in many other countries.