Boots products in China?

[Elizabeth_rb]

Hi!  Hope it's OK to post this enquiry here, but it would form part of shopping life in China. ;)

 

Just want to try and get any insider info I can on the availability on the Chinese high street of Boots products.  The reason for this is, as many are no doubt aware, Chinese law requires all imported cosmetics to go through animal testing in China before they can be sold in Chinese shops.  Oddly enough this doesn't apply to sales purely through Chinese or foreign websites, just to those in physical shops.  Anyway, oddities of the law aside, there are squads of women in the UK and other places who would like to know if Boots, who are known to be operating and expanding in China, are selling their own brand cosmetics etc in Chinese shops and, like many high end European and other brands, thereby abandoning their cruelty-free status.

 

Some are saying that only the pharmaceutical/hospital supplies side of the Boots business is operating in China, but reliable information seems to be sparse at the moment.

 

Boots Chinese name appears to be 博姿。

 

Can anyone give any up to date information, please?

 

PS Has anyone seen Too Faced products for sale out there at all??

[Demonic_Duck]

Chinese law requires all imported cosmetics to go through animal testing in China before they can be sold in Chinese shops.

 

I... wha...?

[roddy]

Yep. Not sure if they test on ducks ;-)

 

I can't see anything about Boots having a retail presence in China. Plus products made in China aren't subject to the compulsory animal testing, so if their own-brand products are made here....

[Elizabeth_rb]

Yeah, I know that domestically produced (or even packaged) products don't have to be tested now, but word is that some who manufacture in China are still undergoing testing even though they don't have to.  Grrr!     Some Boots stuff is made there, but even so, one can't guarantee it's cruelty free if it's being sold in Chinese shops.  I've asked my Chinese 'friends' on Lang-8 too, so hoping for a universal 'no' that I can pass on to people I know are making buying decisions based on this issue (including me!)

 

I suppose at least part of the idea of having imported stuff either tested or in some way manufactured in China is to make sure that, if the rich foreign company isn't willing to pay money to Chinese labs, then he must pay it to Chinese factories.  Can't really complain at the Chinese gov't for putting $£$ before ethics as the Western cosmetic companies are doing the exact same thing when they submit to testing....

 

Anyone else anything to add?

[oceancalligraphy]

I know that Sephora (US cosmetics store) has opened in China. Maybe there are brands there (http://www.sephora.cn/) that don't do animal testing? Just a thought on further investigation.  

[ChTTay]

You can buy a fair range Boots stuff on Taobao but I've never seen it in shops in Beijing. Someone did mention Boots had a few stores in China but ... I don't know where... Probably Shanghai if anywhere.

In Thailand Boots competes with 7/11 to have the most stores on one single street.

[Angelina]

You can shop online from Sasa (HK) and they will deliver it, this is a good option.

I am not sure if all products sold in mainland Sephora stores are cruelty-free. I thought some products are until I saw this thread I don't wear make-up and I always buy cruelty-free shampoos. I had never heard about Boots before. It's good that they don't test on animals, let's hope they did not give up the fight in China.

Thanks Elizabeth.

[Elizabeth_rb]

Thanks everyone. Thus far it seems that Boots have only a pharmaceutical presence in China. Their international store locator shows no branches out there. In fact, they have a retail presence in fewer than half of the countries they operate in.

I checked the Sephora and Skin Store China websites and they sold no Boots products. Unlike in other countries, there are unlikely to be any cruelty free international products sold in Sephora China owing to the law on compulsory testing of foreign made products.

Thanks for your insights!

[ChTTay]

Just buy from Taobao... problem solved. A lot of stuff on there won't be legally sold in China - The Body Shop, Boots etc

[roddy]

It's not about finding the products. Elizabeth is in the UK and probably a stone's throw from a local Boots. She just wants figure out their animal cruelty record so she knows whether or not to throw the stone...

[Angelina]

It sounds like a good company, they didn't sell out. If I ever change my mind about boycotting cosmetics and boycotting Taobao, it's a good cruelty-free brand to try. 

[ChTTay]

Yeah, I need to read more closely. .. or more than just the topic heading

[Shelley]

I think you need to be very careful about this sort of thing as per this article http://www.uncaged.co.uk/animaltesting.htm

They may not test their products on animals but they may use ingredients that have been.

 

I don't use make up and only using products - shampoo, moisturiser and soap -  that are not tested on animals.

 

Personally I find it difficult to trust labels, you can never be sure exactly what they mean.

 

[Elizabeth_rb]

Thanks everyone!  

 

Yes Shelley, it's a tricky subject, esp., when you have companies with more than one string to their bow. 

[Elizabeth_rb]

Thanks again to everyone who helped out with this topic.  Roddy was right in that whether or not Boots products were available in China would certainly influence my own buying habits in the UK and I also wanted to be able to advise other ladies in the same dilemma.

 

I'm pleased to say that, despite contradictory information on-line (WHAT a surprise), much of which is pure guesswork and supposition, using both the information gathered via this thread, my own research (i.e. finding out via Boots International's store locator that there were no Chinese stores) and the very clear and definite declaration in this thread: http://humanelychic.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/boots-and-companies-animal-testing.html  that I now feel I can continue to buy from Boots own ranges with a clear conscience.

 

Hope that also helps anyone here who was interested in the same issues.