Clicks, Dis-Chem see spike in ‘blue’ Dawn lotion sales, thanks to influencer Kay Yarms

'Blue' Dawn lotion (Kay Yarms Twitter/ Clicks)

• Various retailers in South Africa saw a rise in sales of Dawn's Vitamin E/Argan oil body lotion in January after influencer Kay Yarms tweeted about it.
• The influencer said she had been using the product for about a month and noticed visible results in the stretch marks on her arms.
• Clicks sold out in over 500 stores, while Dis-Chem also noticed a significant increase in sales.
• For more stories go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.

Clicks and Dis-Chem have seen a spike in sales of , thanks to South African influencer Kay Yarms.

Dawn has been a household name since the 60s for its moisturising products, and launched a new range in 2019.

Youtuber Khethokuhle Ngonyama, popularly known as Kay Yarms, tweeted on January 11 that she had been using the Dawn Body Lotion with Vitamin E/Argan oil for her stretch marks and noticed visible results in just a month.

(Kay Yarms' Twitter)

“I actually wanted to plug you guys with a new product for stretch marks. I’ve only been using it for a month but the difference is so visible! (I’ve been using magnolia tissue oil, it keeps me moisturized but minimal results) this product has really really surprised me! Like [Flushed face emoji]”, said Ngonyama in the tweet.

The 28-year-old influencer, who has more than 263,100 followers on Twitter and over 331,200 followers on Instagram, also tweeted that the ‘blue’ Dawn lotion is definitely “the girl she thinks she is.”

(Kay Yarms Twitter)

Just a day after Ngonyama’s tweet, twitter users were rushing to local retailers to also buy what some now call Kay Yarms’ Dawn, and it sold like hotcakes.  

In less than a week, shelves of various giant retailers were left empty as they ran out of the product. Clicks saw more than 500 stores running out.

“We sold out in 575 out of 714 stores and are busy replenishing stock nationwide,” said Clicks Chief Trading Officer Nigel Grimes.

Dis-Chem ran out as well. “[We] pulled sales reports of two Dawn “blue” variants and... saw a significant rise in sales,” said the retailer, referring to both the Dawn 400ml Vitamin E/Argan oil lotion and the 400ml body cream.

“This shows the power of influencer marketing and the impact they can have on brand awareness and sales,” Grime said.

The properties in argan oil, according to Medical News Today, help in increasing the skin’s elasticity and may reduce the appearance of stretch marks.

 “Some research suggests that argan oil can improve the elasticity of the skin, which may reduce or prevent stretch marks. It can be applied topically or consumed to enhance skin elasticity, according to one study.”

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