Australia passes landmark bill to ban animal testing on cosmetics
The Australian senate has this week passed the Industrial Chemicals Bill 2017 – a landmark bill that effectively ends animal testing on cosmetics within the country. Under the legislation companies will be banned from using data taken as a result of animal testing...
Zara freckle ad sparks China backlash, but is this a racism cry gone too far?
Fashion house Zara has been hit with a backlash over its most recent beauty campaign in China, which features a model with freckled skin. However, industry reports are stating this is a racism claim gone too far. Promoting its new lipstick range via Sina Weibo, the...
Amorepacific Group widens reach in Asia and Europe with A.S. Watson partnership
Amorepacific Group has announced a global strategic partnership with health and beauty retailer A.S. Watson. The collaboration will expand Amorepacific’s reach across both Asia and Europe and will allow the company to introduce its premium beauty brands to new...
JD.com invests in UK with British Fashion Council three-year partnership
Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com has entered into a strategic partnership with the British Fashion Council (BFC), having been named as the exclusive Chinese retail partner of London Fashion Week, according to a report by WWD.com. The move is a development of the...
Walgreens reaches out to Chinese consumers, adding Alipay to 3000 U.S. stores
Retail giant Walgreens has added the Chinese mobile payment platform Alipay to thousands of its stores across the U.S. Operated by Ant Financial Services Group, the new Alipay collaboration will allow Chinese consumers to use the service in 3000 Walgreen stores across...
European Commission gives go ahead on Amcor and Bemis merger
Australian packaging company Amcor has been given the go-ahead for its $6.8bn merger with U.S. flexible packaging company Bemis following approval by the European Commission. The EC has approved the merger under the EU Merger Regulation, with the approval conditional...
MAC and Tencent mobile gaming collaboration a roaring success as limited-edition lipsticks sell out
The recent partnership between MAC cosmetics and Chinese Tencent mobile game Honor of Kings has reportedly seen sales of the limited-edition lipsticks soar. The cult beauty brand joined forces with the game, known as Arena of Valor in the west, to release the five...
K-pop band BTS launches skin care line for acne-prone skin
K-pop sensation BTS has launched a skin care line aimed at those who suffer from acne, according to a report published by Allure. The new AC Control line from K-beauty brand TN will feature the band’s cartoon avatars, known as BT21 on the packaging. The line comprises...
Indonesia to usher in mandatory halal labeling
Indonesia is preparing to usher in compulsory halal labeling for consumer products and services, according to a report published by Bloomberg. Under the plan, the government would take control of the certification process, which could bring in revenue of US$1.6...
More record results as Shiseido posts ‘all-time high’ profit and sales
Shiseido has joined the record-breakers club; the Japanese cosmetics maker posted record-breaking results for fiscal 2018 with net sales, operating profit and net profit all reaching all-time highs. Indeed, net sales rose 8.8 percent year on year in local currency to...
Best sales growth in more than a decade: China is a highlight as L’Oréal posts record-breaking results
L’Oréal has announced its results for FY fiscal 2018, revealing that it enjoyed its best sales growth in more than 10 years over the last financial year. The French beauty giant saw sales grow 7.1 percent (like-for-like) to €26.9 billion. L’Oréal also smashed its...
Unicode confirms advent of the period emoji
Unicode, the organisation behind the distribution of emojis – has announced that it will be adding a character designed to denote menstruation to the global emoji keyboard this month, according to a report published by Huffington Post. Some 55,000 people were said to...
Shiseido invests ¥50 billion to build new Kyushu plant
Shiseido has announced that it is set to spend between ¥40 and 50 billion on a new plant located in Fukoka Prefecture, according to a report published by the Nikkei Asian Review. The Japanese cosmetics manufacturer already has two plants under construction in its home...
China’s FDA tightens up cosmetics marketing regulations
China’s Food and Drugs Administration has issued a set of strict regulations governing the marketing of cosmetics across the country. The new rules bar companies from claiming that their products have any medical benefits, according to a report published by Jing...
Stores closed as Napoleon Perdis calls in the administrators
Australian cosmetics retailer Napoleon Perdis has called in the administrators and could face a sale or restructure, according to a report published by The Sydney Morning Herald. Some 28 stores were closed immediately as the news broke, per the report, as appointed...
No more tariffs: free trade deal between Japan and the European Union comes into force
A free trade deal signed between Japan and the European Union last summer has come into effect, creating the ‘largest ever free trade area’, according to a report published by Asahi. The deal scraps virtually all tariffs between the Asian country and European trade...
It’s a fair cop: E.l.f Cosmetics dodges US$40 million in penalties by agreeing to pay US$1 million in North Korea sanction flout
E.l.f. Cosmetics has dodged a US$40 million fine by agreeing to pay just under US$1 million to settle a civil liability case for 156 ‘apparent’ violations of the North Korea Sanctions Regulations, according to reports from The Guardian and CNBC. The mass market beauty...
Hoshi Corporation to operate Japan’s first bonded cosmetic factory
Hoshi Corporation has received a licence from Okinawa Regional Customs to operate Japan’s first bonded cosmetic factory. The company will therefore be able to offer made-in-Japan manufacturing for export without custom clearance for its international clients. The...
Lancôme teams with Alibaba Cloud to launch AR game for Chinese New Year
Lancôme has teamed up with Alibaba Cloud to launch an Augmented Reality game in Hong Kong for consumers as part of its Chinese New Year campaign. Alibaba Cloud’s image search technology and cloud services will allow users to engage in an online and offline experience...
Kanebo’s Kate announces new global strategy as Eddie Peng joins as brand ambassador
Kanebo Cosmetics has launched a new strategy for its Kate brand designed to accelerate further global growth. Key to the strategy is the launch of the Tokyo Red campaign in China, which stars actor Eddie Peng, and is designed to promote its Kate Color High Vision...
LG Household & Health Care smashes 4Q with record sales: Sales up 14.2 percent to KRW1.7 trillion
LG Household & Health Care has reported yet another record-breaking set of results. The division’s fourth quarter sales were up 14.2 percent on the same period a year prior, reaching a total of KRW1.7 trillion, according to a report published by Business Korea....
China on course to become world’s largest retail market in 2019
China is set to overtake the US as the world’s largest retail market this year, according to a report published by CNN. The Asian country’s retail sales are expected to hit a value of US$5.6 trillion in 2019, which would trump the US’ total by approximately US$100...
‘Lipstick effect’ returns to South Korea as color cosmetics sales boom amidst economic downturn
South Korean health and beauty retailer Olive Young has reported a color cosmetics sales rise of 35 percent for 2018 despite an overall economic downturn, according to a report by Pulse News. It was the first time color cosmetics such as lipstick, foundation and...
Memebox secures $35 million in Series D funding round to boost innovation and company growth
K Beauty startup Memebox has secured $35 million in Series D funding round, led by JJDC. The company, which is said to bring products to market powered by data-driven consumer insights, has now secured a total of $190 million in funding. According to a press release,...
JD.com paves the way for drone deliveries in Southeast Asia with first government-approved flight in Indonesia
China’s largest retailer JD.com has paved the way for drone deliveries in Southeast Asia with the completion of the first government-approved drone flight in Indonesia. According to a company press release, the successful pilot took place on 8 January in West Java,...
AS Watson opens first Vietnam store; plans 50 more
Hong Kong’s Watsons has opened its first store in Vietnam, according to a report published by Nikkei Asian Review. The new Ho Chi Minh City store, which is situated within the Bitexco Financial Tower stocks more than 6,000 SKUs and boasts a make-up counter where...
Sharing is caring? China’s sharing make-up pods spark debate over hygiene
A recently opened make-up sharing pod in Wuhan, China has sparked a heated debate over the potential ramifications of sharing make-up with strangers, according to a report published by the BBC. The booths, which have been springing up all over China since launch in...
Now Shiseido boosts Singapore presence
Fresh from the news that it has opened a Center of Excellence in China, Shiseido has announced that it will invest in innovation, training and headcount in Singapore, according to a report published by the Business Times. To that end, the Japanese cosmetics giant has...
The Body Shop India to launch 20 new stores in 2019
The Body Shop is set to expand further in the Indian market with 20 new store openings planned for 2019, according to Retail News Asia. Looking to capitalize on the huge upsurge in consumers seeking healthier products, The Body Shop will develop its offering within...
Procter & Gamble, Henkel and Clariant amongst founding members of new Alliance to End Plastic Waste
Procter & Gamble, Henkel and Clariant are among the nearly 30 member companies that have come together to launch the new Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), which aims to eliminate plastic waste in the environment. The member companies from the plastics and...
Amway enters India’s growing oral care market with launch of new herbal toothpaste Glister Herbals
Amway India has announced the launch of Glister Herbals toothpaste, an extension to its flagship Glister range. Amway India's Glister Herbals launch positions the company to challenge competitors such as Patanjali, Colgate and Dabur in India’s growing oral care...
Shiseido sets sights on China; opens new Shanghai office
Shiseido has announced the opening of a new business innovation and investment center in Shanghai, China, according to a report published by the Business Times. The new Center of Excellence will be headed up by Carol Zhou, who joins the company as Head of China...
L’Oréal Paris makes a splash with travel retail pop-up in Haitang Bay
L’Oréal Paris Travel Retail has been drawing in the crowds with a dedicated pop-up at Haitang Bay Duty Free Shopping Mall. The brand erected a five-meter-high Eiffel Tower in red and welcomed guest celebrity Cai Xukun (Kun) to the event, which prompted some 120...
Something old, something new: Meet Pantene Japan’s new ambassadors – yes, one is a baby
Pantene Japan has taken age diversity to a whole new level with its latest ambassador announcement. The P&G-owned brand has hired a baby and its first grey-haired spokesperson, according to a report published by The Drum. The #HairWeGo My Hair Moves Me Forward...
Innisfree launches limited edition Toy Story collection
Innisfree teamed up with Disney to announce the launch of a limited-edition Innisfree x Toy Story range to coincide with the opening of the Toy Story 4 movie later this year. The K beauty company has created the collection in a nod towards the characters in the film...
The Face Shop acquires Avon’s China-based beauty manufacturing operations
Avon has announced that is has sold all shares in its Chinese beauty manufacturing operations to LG-owned Asian consumer goods and beauty company The Face Shop for a price of $44 million. As part of the sale, the two companies have drawn up a manufacturing and supply...
Vegan start-up Plum receives Rs15 crore boost from Unilever Ventures
Cruelty-free and vegan brand, Plum – the first launch from start-up Pureplay Skin Sciences – is set to expand after receiving a cash injection from Unilever’s venture capital arm, according to a report published by Legally India. Unilever Ventures is said to have...
Lancôme sees in Chinese New Year with Wish Big campaign
Lancôme is celebrating Chinese New Year with the launch of its first pop-up store in Kuala Lumpur, according to a report published by Tatler Asia. Part of the brand’s ‘Wish Big’ campaign, the pop-up will offer shoppers the chance to purchase limited edition beauty...
Is the boom over? Chinese retail sales grow at slowest rate for 15 years as US trade war bites
The trade war between the US and China prompted by Trump’s protectionist policies is starting to impact results of major US companies, according to a report published by CNBC. Apple saw its shares plummet last week after it lowered its estimated first-quarter revenue,...
Ogilvy creates powerful advert for Hindustan Unilever ‘Start A Little Good’ initiative
Media agency Ogilvy has created a powerful new advert ‘The Shower’ for Hindustan Unilever’s Start A Little Good initiative, according to the Drum. The film aims to showcase the value of water in rural villages, with a shower being taken out of a city environment and...
LG brand Whoo sets precedent for K beauty brands as it surpasses 2 trillion won mark
LG-owned brand Whoo has surpassed 2 trillion won in sales, a landmark revenue achievement for a K beauty brand, according to a report by Pulse News. At 40 percent higher than the company’s 1.42 trillion won revenue in 2017, it highlights the ongoing consumer demand...
Glow Recipe founders launch mass market brand Sweet Chef
The founders of cult brand Glow Recipe have launched a mass market range Sweet Chef, designed to roll out in Target stores as of 27th January, 2019, according to a report by WWD.com. The range is infused with superfoods and consists of serum shots and sheet masks,...
J-beauty celebrates record year as exports hit ¥500 billion
Exports of Japanese cosmetics were on course to break the ¥500 billion barrier for the first time as the J-beauty camp delivered another record performance in 2018, according to a report published by the Nikkei Asian Review. Exports accelerated 44 percent year-on-year...
Price of palm oil plunges as demand drops and supply soars
The price of palm oil has hit a multi-year low as stock levels build according to a report published by Reuters. In Indonesia, farmers are said to be delaying harvest because storage tanks are full as mills stall on deliveries pending an improvement in price....
Avon targets Russian market first with new K-beauty collection
Avon has announced the launch of its first K-beauty collection, with the products being launched into Russia first before rolling out across Europe in early 2019. The move is part of the company’s ongoing transformation strategy, with the range of masks and hand...
Diana Penty named Estée Lauder first Indian brand ambassador
Estée Lauder has named Bollywood actress and model Diana Penty as its first Indian brand ambassador, according to a report by News 18.com. Penty will appear in skincare and beauty campaigns across digital and in-store promotions with her first campaign being for the...
Yuhan inks deal to supply deer milk-based cosmetics range
South Korean pharmaceutical company Yuhan has forged a deal with New Zealand milk provider Pāmu, which will supply deer milk for a cosmetics range. Said to be the first time New Zealand deer milk has been used in the beauty industry, Yuhan has created a range of...
If we succeed in India, we’ll go global with our herbal range: Amway tests the waters for Ayurveda
Amway has revealed that it is testing the potential for a line of herbal products on the Indian market, before taking its range global, according to a report published by The Economic Times. The direct sales company launched Attitude Be Bright Herbals line, which...
Nivea launches accelerator program for K-beauty start-ups
Beiersdorf-owned Nivea has announced plans to establish an innovation hub for the next gen of K-beauty entrepreneurs. The hub will be sponsored by Nivea in partnership with WeWork and grant selected start-ups access to Beiersdorf’s global market reach and leading...
Chinese cosmetics e-tailer Mogu New York Stock Exchange debut bombs
A Chinese e-commerce platform for fashion and cosmetics which was hoping to raise US$67 million in a US IPO, according to a report published by Bloomberg, has met with a lackluster reception, says WWD. According to an anonymous source quoted by Bloomberg, the 4.75...
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