Cheryl Hunter (shelflife at marklives.com)’s weekly pick of all things new in retail — consumer products launches, retail news and FMCG campaigns!
Urban makeup
Blending traditional knowledge and the latest in cosmeceutical innovation, international cosmetics brand, Nikel, has piqued local interest, where the trend is toward cosmetics with natural active ingredients.
Nikel Cosmetics, which launched locally in May 2018, is described as a combination of traditional knowledge and the latest innovations, such as time-release ingredients, nanomolecules, probiotics and the latest addition — alpine rose plant stem cells for skin rejuvenation.
Created in Croatia and the brainchild of scientist Mirjana Brlečić, Nikel is aimed at the urban, educated woman who enjoys a fit and healthy lifestyle and has a zest for travel and the outdoors.
According to Brlečić, South Africa was targeted because consumers here are considered to be receptive to natural cosmetics and a healthy skin and lifestyle — the right fit for the ethos of Nikel Cosmetics — and the range itself is well suited to the needs of South Africans, in particular because of the sunny, dry climate.
Brlečić’s inspiration to create her own range, consisting of 63 products, came about while she was selling luxury skincare products and realised that many products seemed to be causing skin issues: “Pharmacy and biochemistry opened my eyes to new perceptions and knowledge in the area of cosmetic preparations, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.”
She received assistance from a dedicated Women in Business programme in Croatia that included marketing and packaging advice, integral to the success of the brand.
Nikel Cosmetics are available at Zando and Beauty Worx.
nikelcosmetics.co.za • Facebook • Instagram
#PrimaGamesFest
This winter season, friends and family are being invited to make a date to play the latest, most-exciting boardgames, and toy stores and retailers are stocking up to meet the need.
The Prima Toys Games Festival has been launched to showcase Prima Toys’ hottest game and boardgame products from the traditional, such as Rummikub and Snakes & Ladders, to the brand-new King Pong, Boomblast and Flipside.
Says Chiquita Patrizi, Prima Toys spokesperson, “Prima Toys Games Festival is about bringing everyone together and finding every excuse under the sun to play a game or two. Boardgames can be played indoors near a roaring open fire; they can be taken on a picnic on a gloriously sunny Sunday afternoon; they can be played on date night; at book club or at a party. Invite your mates over for dinner and a game because boardgames are the perfect reason to bring family and friends together.”
The #PrimaGamesFest promises something for everyone, from toddlers and tweens to teens, adults and grandparents. Parents with toddlers may look forward to products such as Frozen matching game, Peppa Pig Dominoes and the L.O.L. Surprise Game. Experience the festival in-store, where POS will guide consumers to the latest on shelf.
primatoys.co.za • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram
Free fix-it finder
HomeFixer is a new free mobile app that puts users in touch with tradespersons, service providers and companies involved in the home-improvement industry.
Aiming to take the pain out of household renovations and maintenance, the app is meant to simple to use and assists users in finding rated service providers using its location functionality, while also providing the capability to obtain quotes from multiple companies.
Free to download from the Android and IOS app stores, HomeFixer also has an emergency function, giving access to service providers who offer 24-hour assistance. Aside from a clean and easy user design, it offers keyword searches, location services, listing details, click actions and quote request options, plus a rating and review system.
HomeFixer • Facebook • Instagram
Shelf Life is MarkLives.com’s weekly column covering all things retail. Notify us of yours at shelflife at marklives dot com. Want to sponsor Shelf Life? Contact us here.
Cheryl Hunter (@cherylhunter) has written for the South African media, marketing and advertising industries for more than 15 years. A former editor of M&M in Independent Newspapers and contributor to Bizcommunity, AdFocus, AdReview and the Ad Annual, she has also produced for various television networks and currently consults on communication strategy and media liaison.
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