Popular Chinese Sample Store HARMAY Not Worth the Long Line

Selling beauty samples is a trendy and popular business in China. We don’t get beauty samples easily and on most occasions, customers need to purchase a brands’ normal-size products before getting them. Because of this, beauty sample stores are becoming a trendy business in China. Last week, I visited the sample store HARMAY (话梅), one of the most well-known sample stores among Chinese consumers. I was so surprised by the long line waiting in front of the small store.

Learn more about sample stores HARMAY, Haydon, and The Colorist here: Beauty Product Samples and Travel Sizes are a Hot Commodity in China

HARMAY currently has 5 stores in China, and they are in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu (成都) and Hong Kong. A lot of consumers post about the store on Xiaohongshu and Bilibili. A recent round of financing has left HARMAY valued at around 5 billion RMB.

So what did I think? Was it worth waiting in the long line? Was I satisfied with the samples I bought? What did I overhear other customers saying? Will I go for a second visit? Do sample stores like HARMAY have a promising future? Check out our video to find out!

sample store HARMAY
Shanghai HARMAY. Source: Xiaohongshu

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Kejie Yi

Kejie is in charge of market research and video content production here at China Marketing Insights. She loves this work because she feels lucky to witness and experience the new changes happening in the China market as a millennial. When creating content, Kejie aims to leverage her experience as an international student to deliver China marketing stories in a way that Western audiences can understand.




China Marketing Insights

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