Country Business Reports interviews and articles by Discovery Reports Discoveryreports.com When Peter Yip moved from Hong Kong to Switzerland in 1969 to study in a Swiss hotel management school, he did not think that he would one day establish the most renowned and successful Swiss skincare brand in the world. By a twist of fate, Yip became a pioneering skincare entrepreneur renowned for raising beauty standards worldwide. Yip opened a Chinese restaurant in Switzerland in 1973, and it was kismet when he crossed paths with business partners who changed his destiny. When Yip and his partners founded La Prairie in 1978, what followed was a whirlwind progression of international launches, starting with the Asian market. “A year after launch, I successfully developed the brand in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, then moved on towards creating my own company,” says Yip. Developing an eye for beauty at an early age through exposure to the paintings of his father Yip Ping Sum, Bellefontaine’s CEO envisioned a brand specifically designed to strengthen the skin’s immune system. He turned to edelweiss, Switzerland’s national flower, for its high antioxidant and environmental damage protection properties. Edelweiss is at the heart of Yip’s Edelgen complex – a principal active ingredient present in all Bellefontaine products. The opulent skincare brand of choice for the ultra-sophisticated, Bellefontaine features anti-ageing, lightening, moisturising, purifying, stem cell treatment, men’s care and other products. Looking to provide Swiss-quality skincare products for the whole family, Yip acquired traditional glycerine soap manufacturer Mettler1929, thus realising his goal of expanding the company’s expertise. Created in 1929, the Mettler1929 brand made its name as the “soap for doctors”. Proving the brand’s staying power, Mettler1929 launched in 2020 a pandemic essential – a hand-sanitising product. Combining 75.2 per cent ethanol with glycerine and aloe vera, the Mettler1929 sanitiser provides protection against viruses and germs while leaving hands healthy and soft. Yip forged strategic partnerships with distributors to build Bellefontaine and Mettler1929’s brand presence in Asia. For Bellefontaine, Yip followed a bricks-and-mortar approach with its first exclusive counter in Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong in 2005. With scope extending all the way to China, Bellefontaine is present in 25 countries through luxury spa partners and exclusive points of sale. Leveraging the mature e-commerce landscape of the Chinese market, Yip tapped platforms such as Tmall in marketing Mettler1929. Yip sees a large potential in internet sales and plans to utilise other e-commerce sites such as Amazon to expand worldwide. “Even though our products are priced at a premium, we get business worldwide because consumers recognise that we make the best Swiss products,” Yip says. www.bellefontaineswitzerland.com