Kanebo pays further compensation in skin whitening lawsuit
Kanebo has offered compensation to an additional 44 women in Japan after complaints of further skin blotches following use of the company’s skin whitening products. The amount paid was not disclosed by the women’s lawyers, however a total sum of approximately ¥805...
Emami Group scouts out Iran entry
Emami Group is said to be considering a move into Iran, according to a report published by the Financial Tribune. “We are planning to enter Iran by the end of this year, and from the first quarter of the coming fiscal year we intend to start selling our products,”...
Now Dove ushers in airbrush ban for Indian market
Dove has announced that it will no longer digitally alter static images of models in its advertisements for the Indian market, according to a report published by LiveMint. The Hindustan Unilever-owned brand is rolling out a ‘No Digital Distortion Mark’ globally, which...
Did Yves Rocher sack 124 Turkish employees for joining a trade union?
Yves Rocher has come under fire for laying off some 124 workers from its Turkish subsidiary Kosan Kozmetik, allegedly because they had joined a trade union, according to a report published by The Daily Sabah. Global advocacy group SumOfUs is drumming up support for...
‘We want to stay independent’: Cosmax CEO resists takeover
The CEO and Chairman of Cosmax, Lee Kyung-soo has revealed that he has rejected two takeover bids, according to a report published by Nasdaq, quoting Reuters. “I can easily sell the company if I want to,” Lee told Reuters. “Because cosmetics brands often undergo sales...
Overseas premium and budget cosmetics sales boosts AmorePacific Q2
AmorePacific has announced a boost in operating profit for Q2, rising 30.6 percent to 170.3 billion won, boosted in part due to increased overseas sales in premium and budget cosmetics. Posting growth following a slow year in 2017 due to the ongoing THAAD tension...
Unilever Singapore targets elder demographic with Vaseline social documentary
Unilever Singapore is targeting elderly Singapore consumers through a collaboration with video entertainment platform Viddsee, with the two companies creating a two-part social documentary as part of Vaseline’s brand awareness campaign. Targeting the older...
Record profit for LG Household & Health Care as cosmetics sales soar
LG Household & Health Care posted record profit for the second quarter of the current financial year, according to a report published by Pulse News. Operating profit rose 15.1 percent to KRW267.3 billion, while net profit was up 11.4 percent to KRW187.4 billion –...
Schwarzkopf launches customized hair care e-brand My Specialist in China
Henkel has announced the launch in China of a new line it is billing as the 'first customized hair care e-brand scientifically designed to meet every customer’s individual hair needs'. Schwarzkopf My Specialist is based on advanced microscopic testing and is being...
Deborah, Kiko and Diego dalla Palma join Tmall Global
Tmall Global has announced that it has welcomed four of Italy’s top beauty brands to its cross-border e-commerce platform. Deborah, Kiko, and Diego dalla Palma’s eponymous brand, as well as its RVB Lab line have all launched on the Alibaba Group-owned site in the last...
AmorePacific triumphs in Shanghai Weierya trademark case
AmorePacific has announced that it has emerged victorious in a trademark battle against Chinese cosmetics company Shanghai Weierya, according to a report published by The Investor. The Chinese firm has been ordered to compensate the K-beauty giant to the tune of...
L’Oréal Australia ushers in Support & Stay In Touch program to help employees navigate parental leave
Having amended its parental leave policy last year to offer all parents a blanket 14 weeks of leave, regardless of gender or whether they are the primary or secondary carer, L’Oréal Australia has gone one better with a new initiative aimed at supporting parents as...
Innisfree partners with Alibaba’s Tmall to open Chinese concept store
AmorePacific-owned Innisfree has partnered with Alibaba-owned Tmall to open a new concept store in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, according to a report published by The Korea Herald. The K-beauty brand’s new store will feature up-to-the-minute technology from the...
L’Occitane Q1 2019: Sales up 12.3 percent as LimeLife boosts US growth
L’Occitane has issued an unaudited trading update for the three months ended June 30, 2018. The natural cosmetics retailer saw sales rise 12.3 percent at constant rates (6.2 percent at actual rates and 3.6 percent like-for-like) to €296.8 million. The US, Hong Kong...
Style Nanda apologises over ‘blacked-up’ hand in 3CE campaign
L’Oréal’s recently purchased 3CE brand (part of the Style Nanda umbrella) has been forced to issue an apology after it released an advertising image for a nail varnish featuring a hand painted to appear black, according to a report published by Marketing Interactive....
Max Factor et al dump Kuwaiti influencer Sondos Alqattan over Filipino maid scandal
Max Factor has cut all ties with Kuwaiti influencer Sondos Alqattan after she posted a video to her Instagram account lambasting labor laws which grant Filipino workers limited employment rights, according to a report published by Gulf News. She has since stuck by her...
Alibaba buys minority interest in Focus Media for US$1.43 billion
Alibaba has announced that it has struck a deal with Focus Media Information Technology to acquire a minority stake in the Chinese digital marketing company. Alibaba will pay US$1.43 billion for a 6.62 percent share of the Shanghai-based firm. Focus operates digital...
We’ll be the flag bearers for free trade: Japan and The European Union wipe away tariffs
The European Union and Japan have signed a ground-breaking deal which will see the Asian country and European bloc eliminate almost all tariffs on products traded between them, according to a report published by Fox Business. “The EU and Japan showed an undeterred...
A ‘significant’ error: Lush discovers it owes staff AUD2 million in back pay after payroll error
Lush has discovered that due to a payroll error, it has been underpaying staff in Australia since 2010, according to a report published by The Guardian. The company reported itself to the fair work ombudsman after the mistake was unveiled. More than 5,000 employees...
Hindustan Unilever Q1 profit rise meets industry expectations
Hindustan Unilever has reported a net profit rise of 19.2 percent year on year to Rs 1,529 crore in the three months ending 30 June, 2018. Up from Rs 1283 core in the corresponding period last year, the company marginally beat industry expectations of Rs 1,525 crore....
E-Mart to open Scentence store in Saudi Arabia
South Korean retail giant E-Mart is set to capitalize on the growing popularity of K-beauty and open a standalone store for its own label beauty brand, Scentence, in Saudi Arabia, according to a report published by Pulse News. The store will be located in Al Nakheel...
Korea aims to boost trade with India with new SME tech exchange center in New Delhi
South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups has cut the ribbon on a technology exchange center in New Delhi, India, in a bid to boost trade between the two nations, according to a report published by Yonhap News. The center’s inauguration was prompted by a bilateral...
Making the cut: Kao to axe 40 percent of cosmetic lines
Kao has announced plans to cut up to 40 percent of its cosmetics brand portfolio in order to better focus on its most profitable lines, according to a report published by the Nikkei Asian Review. Some 20 marques will be discontinued, including Dada and Raphaie,...
China denies Cruelty Free International pilot scheme
The China Food and Drug Administration has this week denied reports that the country had signed a pilot scheme with charity Cruelty Free International that would allow foreign cosmetic companies to sell their products within the country without having to adhere to the...
Miniso excels in Tanzania following January market launch
Japanese retailer Miniso is said to be excelling in the Tanzanian market following its launch into the country in January this year, with the company stating that the ‘blue ocean’ nature of the country is giving it a competitive edge. According to a company press...
Unilever Australia commits to post-consumer recycled packaging
The Australian arm of personal care giant Unilever has announced that at least 25 percent of its product packaging will come from post-consumer recycled plastic. As part of the new initiative Unilever has pledged that its Omo, Dove, Surf, Sunsilk and Tresemmé brands...
Eastern Home Shopping & Leisure to list new HK e-commerce site
Taiwan-based Eastern Home Shopping & Leisure has announced it is to list its new cross-border e-commerce unit Strawberry Cosmetics Holdings in Hong Kong. Looking to list the company in the second half of 2019, EHS is hoping the decision will help boost the...
BASF signs MoU for chemical site in China
Chemicals maker BASF has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the construction of a $10 billion site in China in a bid to develop chemical production in the country. The chemical production site will be based in the South Chinese province Guangdong and would be...
Skinfood: Is budget K Beauty brand set to close?
Speculation is mounting that budget K beauty brand Skinfood is set to close following a shortage of stock and empty shelves in store, according to The Korea Herald. Items such as the popular Choco Eyebrow Powder Cake and Peach Cotton Pore Sun Pact were out of stock...
Coty to expand professional hair care range in Asia through DKSH partnership
Coty has entered into a partnership with market expansion service company DKSH to develop Coty’s professional hair care distribution in Singapore and Malaysia. DKSH, which already works with the personal care giant in Thailand, will provide the distribution,...
AmorePacific loosens duty free purchase restrictions in bid to boost sales
South Korean beauty company AmorePacific has relaxed its restrictions on the number of purchases a consumer can make via its online and in-store duty free stores. The move sees the retailer loosen the policy to allow consumers to buy more than the previous five...
Sephora continues global onslaught with imminent South Korea launch
Beauty retailer Sephora is said to be readying to launch into South Korea in the third quarter of 2019, according to a report by Pulse News. The France-based retailer released a LinkIn advert looking to recruit a Human Resources Manager, stating within the...
The Shilla Duty Free cuts the ribbon on Hong Kong stores
The Shilla Duty Free has unveiled its new stores at Hong Kong International Airport officially, after a six-month soft launch. The Grand Opening Ceremony took place last week with several K-celebs in attendance to mark the opening of the Beauty & You concept...
L’Oréal meets with Tencent to pioneer marketing solutions for digital China
Representatives from leading Chinese marketing agency Tencent met with senior executives from L’Oréal at Cannes Lions to discuss the latest developments in the marketing sphere with a particular focus on CMO. “Embrace smart retail and use content to reach and connect...
Keep it in the family: LG confirms 40-year-old heir as new CEO
After the death of Chairman Koo Bon-moo last month, LG’s shareholders have approved the his heir, Koo Kwang-mo, to the board and appointed him Chairman and CEO of Korea’s fourth largest consumer goods group, according to a report published by Nikkei Asian Review. “I...
Beauty and cosmetic operators emerge as best retail performers in Australia
Cosmetic and toiletry retailers are outperforming the industry due to consumer desire for experiential retail experiences, according to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald. With the cosmetic and toiletry retailing industry worth an estimated $5 billion a year,...
L’Oréal China joins Alibaba in partnership to develop green packaging options in China
L’Oréal China has joined forces with Alibaba Group in a bid to reduce waste by committing to environmentally-friendly packaging used in China. Rolled out over the next five months the agreement, signed this week, saw L’Oréal pledge to switch to Forest Stewardship...
Estee Lauder teams up with University of Hong Kong to create bespoke post grad course
The Estee Lauder Companies has partnered with the University of Hong Kong, School of Professional and Continuing Education Executive Academy to tailor-make a course that combines digital-age retail management and shopper-centric marketing strategies, according to a...
Australian social enterprise Thankyou launches in New Zealand
An Australian social enterprise that aims to end poverty through sustainable change, named Thankyou has launched onto the New Zealand market, according to a report published by Stuff. Just a week after its New Zealand debut, the brand is on its third restock already....
Cruelty Free International negotiates pilot program to circumvent China’s mandatory animal testing for foreign brands
Cruelty Free International has signed an agreement with Chinese authorities that will see the mandatory animal testing requirement imposed on cosmetics imports by the country’s lawmakers lifted for foreign companies for a set trial period, according to the Financial...
L’Oréal India announces first Managing Director
L’Oréal India has announced the appointment of Amit Jain as new Managing Director, effective August 2018. Jain joins the company from his previous position as MD North-West Europe for Akzo Nobel and will succeed Jean-Christophe Letellier, who is said to be moving a...
Japan passes bill to reduce microplastics in order to combat pollution
A bill has been passed by The Upper House in Japan to reduce microparticles, in a bid to reduce ocean pollution. The legislation has called on companies to cease use of microproducts in their products – with a focus on business such as makers of face washes and...
Xiangwei Gong announced as new President Aptar Asia
Packaging company Aptar has announced Xiangwei Gong as the new president of Aptar Asia. Gong joins the company from DSM Hydrocolloids where she held the position of President. Reporting to CEO Stephan Tanda, Gong brings with her a wealth of experience in building...
AmorePacific marks completion of new ‘social’ HQ
AmorePacific held an official ceremony to mark the completion of its new headquarters in the Yongsan-gu district last week. The new building has been eight years in design and construction and lies between a spacious public park and the business district. The...
Major Brands secures license to bring Bath & Body Works to India
Retailer Major Brands has signed a deal with US L Brands to bring its Bath & Body Works chain to India, according to a report published by the Business Standard. Bath & Body Works will launch onto the Indian market with two stores in New Delhi, at Select City...
Cosmax, Tonymoly et al triumph in AmorePacific patent case
A group of six K-beauty manufacturers including Cosmax, TonyMoly and Nature Republic have won through in a case over AmorePacific’s cushion patent, according to a report published by The Investor. The group challenged the validity of AmorePacific’s patent for its...
Hindustan Unilever partners with Amazon India to create male grooming range
Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has teamed up with the Indian arm of global e-tailer Amazon – marking the first time HUL has created a beard grooming range and the first partnership of its kind for the personal care company. Launching under the Brylcreem brand and selling...
Sunsilk Thailand new campaign encourages open transgender discussion
Sunsilk’s latest hair care campaign in Thailand focuses on creating an open discussion about transgender people in the country by narrating the story of the rise to fame of a transgender model. Titled Hair Talk, the new advert follows the story of Rock Kwanlada, first...
Unilever Australia: We’ll run our plants on 100 percent green power
Unilever will operate all its Australian manufacturing facilities on green energy by 2020, according to a report published by The Sydney Morning Herald. The Dutch FMCG manufacturer said that the country’s energy suppliers had reached a ‘tipping point’ whereby...
‘China was the standout market’: L’Occitane FY2018 sales up 4.6 percent but profit dives 27.1 percent
L’Occitane has announced its results for fiscal 2018. The company saw sales rise 4.6 percent at constant rates over the year (-0.3 reported) to €1,319.4 million. Gross margin remained high at 83.3 percent although profit dropped 27.1 percent over the year, which the...
LATEST NEWS
