KOSE to Shut Down Its Tmall Flagship Store Soon

KOSE, a leading Japanese cosmetics company, has announced that its Tmall flagship store will be closing its doors on April 19, 2024. With the store's closure, all associated membership benefits will cease to exist, though KOSE products will continue to be available through its WeChat Mini Program.

Having operated for more than 14 years and amassed nearly 885,000 followers, the KOSE Tmall store features products from popular lines such as KOSE, INFINITY, and ONE BY KOSE. The flagship brands DECORTE and SEKKISEI have their dedicated Tmall stores.

Entering the Chinese market in 1988, KOSE was among the first international beauty brands to do so, creating a joint venture with a Hangzhou cosmetics factory. By 2021, KOSE's operations in China were further solidified with its Shanghai sales office becoming the company's headquarters in the region.

KOSE China's official website disclosed that KOSE Japan previously owned two subsidiaries in China focused on manufacturing and sales. In a strategic move in October 2017, KOSE Japan transferred its manufacturing subsidiary to Kolmar Japan, a renowned cosmetics OEM. This transition allowed KOSE to continue owning its Chinese cosmetic brands, entrusting production to Kolmar while maintaining sales through KOSE China

This strategy reflects the market's appreciation for products made in Japan. Despite KOSE's extensive knowledge of the Chinese market, the brand has struggled with visibility and recognition compared to its Japanese peers. KOSE's initial foray into e-commerce in 2014 was primarily for inventory clearance, underscoring a cautious approach to online sales channels.

Moreover, KOSE, along with other Japanese beauty brands, faced consumer backlash in China following reports of Japan discharging Fukushima wastewater. The upcoming closure of its Tmall store marks another shift in KOSE's digital strategy, following the earlier shutdown of its online store on the official Chinese website in August of the previous year.