Some tech media (and I’m presuming beauty bloggers) were recently sent an invite to the ‘launch of WeChat’s newest service GoBeauty.’ GoBeauty isn’t something new. We posted about the local beauty app back in August last year. I immediately replied to the invite asking for more information. I wasn’t able to attend the event but I thought it was interesting that GoBeauty was now on WeChat. Ventureburn then posted about the news and raised some interesting points. That got me thinking a little bit about local apps, WeChat and bikini waxing (really).
GoBeauty was a local smartphone app that allowed you to book various salon appointments via your phone. The app also supplied a list of salons and services near your location, let you write customer reviews following your appointments and take advantage of last minute specials and late bookings that would be promoted in app. The app could be downloaded for Android smartphones but is no longer available for download on the Google Play store. The GoBeauty website now directs users to WeChat where you can add GoBeautySA and utilise the same services, just in the WeChat app.
According to the Ventureburn piece, when GoBeauty was listed on Google Play it had between 500 to 1000 downloads. Which isn’t an awful lot. WeChat has been working hard on differentiating itself locally. Very few South Africans seem to have bought in to using it as a messaging service so apps in the service seemed like a clever move. We’ve posted about a few of the offerings before.
Here’s the thing. The therapist who does my bikini wax recently left the salon I frequent. I needed to find someone new. I was terrified. Bikini waxing is pretty intimate and rather awkward until you are with someone you trust. Would I use an app to read a few reviews and find another salon and therapist? I don’t know. I ended up going back to my good old faithful salon, asking who they now had employed and hoped the positive experience with my old therapist was owed, in some part, to the salon’s culture and not just her. It was. Thank goodness.
The point of that story? I’m not sure too many people would trust someone to pour hot wax on their nether regions based on reviews on an app and proximity to their house. I could be wrong though and I’d love for you to weigh in here and tell me what you think? Would you?
I’m hoping the WeChat and GoBeauty partnership will succeed. GoBeauty is an app for South African women and we’ve all seen the success the likes of Zomato has had with a similar idea (albeit, in the restaurant industry). WeChat might open it up to a greater number of people who didn’t know it existed.
Do you use WeChat? Would you like us to review apps that are available on this platform? We could try out GoBeauty in its new home and possibly come back with a different view. What do you think?