The French dermocosmetic brand SVR celebrated its arrival in Argentina with a launch event at the French Embassy in Buenos Aires, but there wasn’t a great turnout. Pharmabiz has learned that, so far, the brand hasn’t been picked up by any major wholesalers, and its entry into the pharmacy retail channel is proving to be an uphill battle.
La consultancy firm IQVIA reported that 168 SKUs were launched in physical retail channels in the facial care segment in Argentina in the past six months. There were also 122 SKUs launched in online channels. See article in Spanish
Amid this crowding on the store shelves and in consumers’ minds, a new player is entering the local market: the French brand SVR. It held a lackluster official presentation yesterday at the French Embassy, targeting dermatologists. See event video
The brand is arriving via an intermediary: the firm Biomille, which is led by Marina Bauer, an environmental engineer with no prior experience in the sector. She launched her own business 11 years ago. It’s this fledgling company that’s now introducing SVR to the market, but it’s currently struggling to gain a foothold in the pharmacy channel. Pharmabiz has confirmed that the brand has not yet secured distribution with any key wholesalers. Its primary retail partner is currently Farmacity, a retail format that sits at the opposite end of the spectrum from luxury dermocosmetics. And although the brand is available online, it is present in only about twenty physical stores.
SVR has six lines, but Farmacity is only presenting 13 SKUs in a range of prices from ARS$29,000 (US$19) up to ARS$89,000 (US$58). See Farmacity
Although there’s an attempt to give a glamorous air to the arrival of what remains an unknown brand in the local market, there’s a lack of experience. The brand’s marketing manager, Daniela Fernández Bisognin, joined Biomille seven months ago to oversee four brands, despite a track record of not having seen through a year in previous roles.
SVR originated in a Parisian pharmacy in the 1960s. At one point, the brand came close to collapse due to debt. However, in 2012, after undergoing court-supervised restructuring, it was rescued by Didier Tabary, president of the dermocosmetic brand Filorga. He partnered with the investment fund HLD, and in January 2014, Tabary and HLD acquired a 70% stake in SVR from the Véret family through a fund. A decade later, Tabary acquired 100% ownership. See article in El Economista in Spanish
The corporate website lacks a lot of the detail you would normally expect from a robust company, such as an «About Us» section, information on the corporate team or press releases. Instead, it functions solely as an e-commerce platform. See SVR
