Priscille Caucé, Cosmogen

Priscille Caucé, Cosmogen

Premium Beauty News - How did Cosmogen deal with the past few months? What is your assessment?

Priscille Caucé - As far as Cosmogen is concerned, the results are positive! We managed to demonstrate our resilience and agility throughout the lockdown period. The figures speak for themselves: our order book increased by 10% over the first quarter, compared to the same period last year. Without the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 would have been a record year!

In practice, we had anticipated the lockdown: as soon as March 10, we made our teams take turns. So, when the quarantine period was announced in France, we were all already working from home. The fact that we anticipated it all helped us remain highly flexible. In terms of operations, it all went well - we are at our customers’ service, more than ever.

Our priority was to take care of our employees during this harsh period. Our watchwords were: “respect and caring”. Our teams’ solidarity and solidity also made Cosmogen really proud during lockdown.

Premium Beauty News - This period also resulted in significant announcements, in particular the merging of Cosmogen’s activities with those of PYC, your dispensing subsidiary.

Priscille Caucé - This decision has nothing to do with the ongoing crisis. We saw the dispensing market’s consolidation as an opportunity. We wanted our customers to benefit from a third player, but on a reasonable basis, by setting up an alternative to the current offering which would mainly target the high-end skincare segment.

As a result, we are now involved in three trades: packaging and applicators, brushes & accessories, and dispensing.

Premium Beauty News - You have also launched a “safe contact” offering!

Priscille Caucé - During the crisis, our strategy was clearly focused on the future and on action: “Outside of your comfort zone is where the magic happens!

Throughout the lockdown period, we went on with our projects and worked on our offering and communication. We launched major projects, in particular in terms of innovation, and we reviewed our schedule to add even more launches.

That is how we actually launched and registered the “safe contact” label, because our products - in particular several of our bestsellers - are perfectly adapted to the rising demand for hygiene as regards product application, and to this desire to no longer apply products on the face with our hands. Our current customers are very enthusiastic when we introduce our range focusing on these arguments. This approach meets a real consumer need.

Premium Beauty News - As an SME, what do you think about your own situation as regards the concentration of suppliers and subcontractors?

Priscille Caucé - In fact, this concentration movement offers much freedom, because the market also needs very agile players. We are a multi-material, multi-area supplier with a differentiating positioning on the market.

Thanks to the diversity of our network of partners, we can satisfy requests of 5,000 or several millions of units. We set up partnerships with the suppliers with whom we have been working for several decades, but we do not have to use our own production tool.

Premium Beauty News - How do you see your future in the short term?

Priscille Caucé - We are neither peaceful nor worried. We are turned towards the future: we know that in the short term, economies throughout the world will be receding. And although we have made progress over the past few months, we know we may be impacted in the near future, just like others. The two months during which retailers closed will obviously have an impact on sales and suppliers.

The situation will not be the same in all world regions. China and Asia should remain dynamic. Latin America will be impacted, but it should soon pick up again. In North America, the pandemic was a big shock, but we trust their ability to bounce back.

We bank on innovation to meet our customers’ expectations. The “safe contact” label is a perfect example.

Premium Beauty News - The crisis also resulted in significant expectations in terms of ethics and sustainability. Some people even talk about a new trend: going hyperlocal.

Priscille Caucé - Our strategy consists in localizing our production according to our commercial hubs to be as close as possible to our customers. Today, we produce in Asia, Europe, Brazil, for South America, and Mexico, for North America.

In France, we produce a few ranges of tottles in partnership with Qualiform, and we have been exchanging with other partners in Europe to meet our customers’ expectations in terms of agility, time-to-market, proximity…

In addition, we keep intensifying our CSR commitment with new materials and developments. We now have an Ecocert-certified offering.

Premium Beauty News - Any message for your customers?

Priscille Caucé - We are here for you, we are operational, and we are on your side, as suppliers, to help you and co-create tomorrow’s products with you!