Spiritual Gathering In Physical Distancing: Kiehl’s Adoption Under COVID-19
The global pandemic of COVID-19 shadowed all businesses in the world, the beauty, and cosmetic industry has welcomed an unprecedented revolution among all market participants. Over the past weeks, countless cities were closed due to the outbreak of coronavirus. Beauty and cosmetic brands were confronted with a brand new challenge in that nobody could shop and try their products at a physical store where used to be the main channel for their clients. As such, companies have their countermeasures in the face of the inevitable closure of all physical stores.
Kiehl’s, as one of the most popular cosmetic brands in the U.S. market, made its closure notification as most of its competitors did. In the brief statement from the management, Kiehl’s team demonstrated its decision of closing all stores while keeping their online services intact, pretty much like all major cosmetic companies in the market.
How Kiehl’s Cares About People
While most of the corporate communication letters are dedicating on how the global pandemic affects their business along with the entire market, Kiehl’s somewhat unique statement in how they are engaged to pay salaries for work hours assigned to staff. Perhaps this might seem irrelevant to customers, yet the mission and belief of a company could be seen from this caring and responsible detail.
As stores are closing throughout the entire country, staff living pay-check by pay-check renders homeless considering that there would be no more pay-check if no store hours could be possible in the near future. Kiehl’s has made their cosmetic services moving from physical stores into online dialogues. Staff is scheduled to use their on-site training to provide parallel services on the Internet, and proper payment is to be issued through their service hours.
In the meantime, Kiehl’s is cooperating with one of the most active charitable organizations in the U.S., Feeding America, to provide further helps to those in need. By donating half a million free meals to the organization, Kiehl’s is conveying their mission in contributing to a better community since 1851 through this philanthropic act. It is touching to see that Kiehl’s team is making donations a key part of its customer communications.
Online Stores Sharing the Same Services
Customers visiting a cosmetic store would expect products for them to try on, as well as professionals in-store to provide proper advice and suggestions. Kiehl’s is trying its best to transfer their physical services into the intangible platform online.
Granted that customers may not be able to enjoy a free trial of products at store, suggestions, and expertise from their trained professionals would be the same when services are provided online. According to Kiehl’s, beauty professionals are waiting online to provide consultancy services to customers so as to help them make better purchasing decisions. Particularly, a 24/7 hotline is provided to potential clients with professionals ready for all possible questions on beauty and cosmetics. Compared to Kiehl’s former customer service hours, this is a bold and more considerate move catering to potential market needs.
I have personally tried calling their online customer services before making purchases. The customer services are proven to be enthusiastic and informative in making all specs, along with pros and cons, to customers so as to convenient their purchases. Especially noteworthy is that a lot more samples and trial packages are given to all customers. On one hand, it is sending a warm message to customers under such a period; on the other hand, it is possible that customers may try the samples and decide to buy formal products just like their purchasing behaviors at stores.
Kiehl’s Reaction Under Coronavirus Outbreak
Kiehl’s reactions are admirable in the beauty and cosmetic industry as its countermeasures came with unique corporate culture and humanistic thinking. First of all, a change has been made on their official website: a corporate communication notice on the front page. Granted making a public notice on the front page is nothing different from almost all of its competitors, the content of this letter distinguished Kiehl’s from its peers. The aforementioned reasons could distinguish Kiehl’s from those who simply providing online stores for their customers, genuine caring for staff and those in need are making Kiehl’s more lively and of social responsibilities.
Personally speaking, I appreciate Kiehl’s reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic for the two reasons mentioned before. Nevertheless, changes made on the website and online shopping logics are less innovative especially compared to Kiehl’s reaction to social responsibilities. Kiehl’s has announced to provide free shipping for any purchase, meanwhile, almost all other brands are providing the same service. With a genuine concern for people in need and the preservation of traditional customer experiences, Kiehl’s can have more reactions like simultaneous online interactions with loyal customers, an online campaign for more donations and better social services under the special circumstance, etc. In this way, Kiehl’s public feature as a vivid brand could be better enlivened.
From the short-term perspective, Kiehl’s is under similar encountering like most of its competitors. A decrease in sales revenues are inevitable as the pandemic and social distancing starts. However, in the long-run, Kiehl’s would be standing in an advantageous position as the management team provides fully dedicated services conveying missions and cultures of the brand. Under an era when all competitors are in one same winter, Kiehl’s way of customer communication would be the way most brands adapting to if this social distancing keeps longer.
