Profits sent into freefall at SaSa International – estimates say down 50 percent for year
SaSa International expects profit to fall 50 percent for FY2015/16, according to a report published by Reuters. The Hong Kong-based retailer attributed the drop to a decrease in sales and reduced operational efficiency caused by the harsh retail environment. “The...
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Chicken dippers: KFC launches edible nail polish in Hong Kong
Fried chicken restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is trialling a range of edible nail polish on the Hong Kong market, according to a report published by The Drum. The lacquer boasts two flavors, Original and Hot and Spicy to reflect the fast-food chain’s...
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Clariant to increase investment in China as slump starts to end
Swiss chemicals maker Clariant has suggested that the ongoing slump in China is on the up and is seeing a turnaround in demand for personal care products. As a result the company is said to be upping investment in the country over the next two years as it taps into...
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Net profit soars 73 percent to ¥20.8 billion at Kao
Japanese cosmetics giant Kao has reported an uplift in net profit to the tune of 73 percent, reaching ¥20.8 billion for the first quarter of the year. Sales were up a more modest 2 percent year-on-year to ¥335 billion, thanks to a buoyant performance by Kao’s Bioré...
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Patanjali’s Ramdev challenges multinationals with Rs10,000 crore target
The local consumer goods and personal care giant that is taking India by storm, Patanjali Ayurved has set itself an ambitious target to double revenue by the close of 2017 to Rs10,000 crore, after sales rose 150 percent in 2015. Should the manufacturer of Dant Kanti...
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It’s Skin plans to expand in India and China with widened distribution and new brand launch
One of Korea’s biggest cosmetics companies, It's Skin is planning to up its game on the Chinese market with expanded local distribution and the development of a new brand through a joint venture, according to a report published by Yonhap News. The K-beauty giant has...
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AkzoNobel explores potential joint venture for Indian MCA production
AkzoNobel has signed a letter of intent to create a potential joint venture with Atul. The companies would collaborate in the production of monochloroacetic acid (MCA) in India, a chemical widely used in personal care and cosmetics products as a thickening agent. The...
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L’Oréal extends its Share and Care program to employees across 67 countries
L’Oréal has extended its Share and Care scheme across the 67 countries in which it operates and will provide employees with a universal set of social benefits. Launched two years ago, the scheme has over initiatives to address the essential needs of employees across...
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Golden Agri-Resources to achieve fully traceable plantation palm oil in four years
Golden Agri Resources (GAR) has published a time-bound plan to achieve full traceability for all the palm oil purchased and processed by the company by 2020. “We led the way in committing to delink palm oil production from deforestation in 2011 and hope that we can...
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Demand for fragrance rises in Southeast Asia as middle class’ ranks swell
The demand for fragranced products, spanning perfumes, detergents and related products, is on the up in Southeast Asia, according to a report published by Nikkei Asian Review. The region currently accounts for just 10 percent of the global flavor and fragrance market...
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New Shiseido Travel Retail division set ¥18.5 billion target for FY2016
Shiseido is set to create a new travel retail unit, based in Singapore, on 1 May, combining the skin care, make-up and fragrances arms of the Japanese beauty house’s worldwide travel retail business, according to a report published by Travel Retail Business. Shiseido...
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Rise and rise of K-beauty lines the pockets of the super rich
As the influence of the Korean beauty market continues to soar, so does the income of those heading up the powerhouse cosmetic companies through hefty dividend payments. Indeed, owners of Korean cosmetics firms such as AmorePacific and It’s Skin earned large cash...
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AmorePacific builds on global business strategy with launch of international online shopping website
South Korean beauty company AmorePacific has launched its first international online shopping website in a move that consolidates its global business strategy outlined last year. Previously retailing its products on global shopping websites of Etude and Innisfree, the...
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Adore Beauty targets Chinese market with Alibaba listing
One of Australia’s largest online cosmetics companies, Adore Beauty is set to launch onto the Chinese market, according to a report published by The Australian. The company will sell some 50 products from an array of Australian brands via Alibaba’s Tmall site. For...
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Li & Fung considers sale of consumer and health care business LF Asia
Li & Fung is said to be planning to offload its consumer and health care distribution business, LF Asia, as part of a strategy to refocus resources on supply chain management, according to a report published by Nikkei. Analysts have pegged the value of the...
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Burberry shares fall due to decline in tourist spending
Luxury group Burberry shares fell following the news that its half year sales fell due to a drop off in tourist spending in Europe and weak demand in Hong Kong. Total sales in the second half fell to £1.41 billion from £1.42 billion a year earlier, while like for like...
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Manufacturers target Indian men with male sunscreen
Indian men are now being targeted with specialist male sunscreen options from both the mass market brands and premium ranges. Following the success of male grooming products in the market, many of the larger manufacturers are now focusing on the emerging male beauty...
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SK-II celebrates Chinese ‘leftover women’ in #ChangeDestiny viral campaign
P&G-owned SK-II has launched a viral video campaign to celebrate the status of single women around the world. The video focuses on China, where unmarried women over the age of 25 are known as ‘leftover women’. The video, part of the company’s #ChangeDestiny...
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Japanese skin care brand Fancl re-enters Singaporean market
Japanese skin care brand Fancl has re-launched onto the Singaporean market, according to a report in the Straits Times. The preservative-free brand opened a counter on the ground floor of Orchard Road’s Isetan Scotts department store last week. Fancl's...
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Kose brothers make Japan’s rich list for the first time as shares rise 50 percent
The three brothers behind Kose have been named among Japan’s 50 Richest in Forbes’ annual ranking. The Kobayashi brothers were placed 19th, with a combined wealth of US$2.1 billion, after shares in the Japanese cosmetics giant rose more than 50 percent in the past...
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Hindustan Unilever acquires Indulekha brand for Rs330 crore
Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has completed the formalities for its acquisition of Mosons Group’s hair care brand Indulekha for Rs330 crore, according to a report published by the Business Standrad. The final sale price is some Rs200-300 crore below the brand’s initial...
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Is K-beauty missing a trick? Prohibitive costs of halal certification could close key Muslim markets to AmorePacific et al
Korea’s major cosmetics players could be missing out on a lucrative opportunity should they continue to ignore the growing popularity of halal-certified cosmetics, according to a report published by The Korea Herald. The costs related to certification are thought to...
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Colgate signs Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli as face of new toothbrush
Personal care company Colgate Palmolive has announced the appointment of India’s T20 cricket captain Virat Kohli as the new ambassador for its Colgate Super Flexi Toothbrush. According to Eric Jumbert, VP-Marketing, Colgate-Palmolive India, "Virat Kohli is one of the...
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South Korean cosmetic exports more than triple in 2015
The demand for South Korean cosmetics from China and other Asian countries has driven export sales up by more than triple in 2015, with sales of exported make up reaching US$2.45 billion in 2015 up 53.1 percent from the previous year. Indeed, according to data by the...
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Palm oil pledge: Unilever cancels its contract with IOI Group over deforestation
Unilever has cancelled its contract with Malaysian palm oil producer and trader IOI Group after the supplier was suspended by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil last week over deforestation and community conflict, according to a report published by edie.net. A...
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MGC Pharmaceuticals plans entry to Australian cannabis-based cosmetics market
MGC Pharmaceuticals is planning to enter the burgeoning Australian medicinal cannabis market, according to a report published by AAP. “The medicinal cannabis market in Australia is emerging as one of the most exciting opportunities for Australian patients, material...
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Avon names Bollywood actor Aditi Rao Hydari as brand ambassador in India
Avon has announced the appointment of Aditi Rao Hydari as brand ambassador for its color cosmetics line in India. The popular Bollywood actor will front the direct sales giant’s Avon Color line. “We are thrilled to appoint Aditi as the new face of Avon Color in India....
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Artificial lab-grown skin that grows hair and perspires could cancel out animal testing in cosmetics
A team of scientists in Japan has successfully created an artificial skin that can sweat and grow hair, using stem cells from mice gums. In the future, the development could be used to create realistic skin samples for cosmetic companies to test their products on....
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Unilever Indonesia reports fall in profits for 2015
The Indonesian arm of personal care giant Unilever has reported a net profit decline of 1.2 percent in 2015 to Rp 5.85 trillion, due to succumbing to the economic slowdown last year. The news came despite the company witnessing a 5.7 percent growth in sales due to the...
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AmorePacific’s Sulwhasoo opens Korea’s largest cosmetics boutique
AmorePacific-owned Sulwhasoo has opened Korea’s largest single-brand cosmetics boutique. The store, which spans an entire five storeys in Sinsa-dong, Seoul, was iunaugurated on Wednesday, according to a report published by Korea JoongAng Daily. The boutique’s location...
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Luxury cosmetics to send profits soaring 20 percent at Pola Orbis
Pola Orbis is expected to report a 20 percent rise in group operating profit to ¥3.5 billion for the first quarter of 2016, according to a report published by Nikkei Asian Review. Sales are predicted to rise 6 percent to ¥48 billion, with skin-whitening supplements...
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Sales of cosmetics imports to soar as China adjusts taxes for cross-border e-commerce
Sales of imported cosmetics sold online are set to soar as the Chinese government announced its intention to broaden a pilot program that levied lower taxes on e-commerce transactions, according to a report published by BloombergBusiness. The Chinese government first...
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Hankyu Men’s Tokyo department store focuses on male grooming following reopening
The Hankyu Men’s Tokyo department store reopened last month following a complete refurbishment which saw the cosmetics department increase by 50 percent, a clear nod towards the continued emphasis on the profitability of male grooming. The department store has now...
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AmorePacific appoints Senior VP Global Travel Retail
South Korean cosmetics company AmorePacific has appointed Nicolas Piquereau as Senior Vice President Global Travel Retail, who will be responsible for developing and implementing short and long-term strategic directions and plans for the business. Piquereau joins...
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Chinese consumers vote with their feet as spending becomes ‘more selective’
A new report published by McKinsey & Co has revealed that, despite cooling economic growth and a depreciating currency, Chinese consumer confidence remains resilient. However, according to the report, which is based on 10,000 face-to-face interviews with people...
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Patanjali guru: ‘Dant Kanti will overtake Colgate by the end of the year’
The yoga guru behind one of India’s fastest growing consumer goods companies, Patanjali, has claimed that the company is poised to overtake its global competitors within three years, according to a report published by LiveMint. “Colgate will be below Pantanjali by...
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Colgate Palmolive India appoints new brand ambassador
Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has been appointed as the new brand ambassador for Colgate Maxfresh toothpaste brand from personal care giant Colgate Palmolive. The appointment signals the brand’s desire to tap into a younger demographic and push a new marketing angle...
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Cosmax Indonesia awarded halal certification
South Korean ODM beauty company Cosmax has been awarded halal certification for its Indonesian subsidiary PT Cosmax Indonesia. The certification – granted by halal certification body Majelis Ulama Indonesia – will now allow the company to make a headway into what is...
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Shiseido Americas appoints new Chief Financial Officer
Ronald Gee has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer for the American arm of Tokyo-based cosmetics firm Shiseido. Gee moves over to Shiseido from his position as CFO for leading beauty manufacturer Coty, and will lead Shiseido Americas’ finance and information...
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Mirai Clinical creates deodorant to combat ‘ageing odour’
Japanese holistic personal care brand Mirai Clinical has created a new deodorant to launch in the US, specifically targeted at Westerners with ‘ageing odour’. The company states that many Japanese believe that the increase in a body odour of an old person, named...
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We’re the gateway to Africa: Mauritius looks to enhance trade relations with Pakistan
Mauritius is hoping to boost trade with Pakistan, according to a report published by The Nation. The country’s High Commissioner, Yusef Elahee, has revealed that it will cooperate with RCCI to hold a Made in Pakistan exhibition in Mauritius to strengthen commercial...
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Made in Italy, sold in Korea? ITA hosts business seminar to open doors
The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) hosted a two-day business seminar for more than 100 Italian businessmen and government officials last week, according to a report published by The Korea Times. Some 41 small and medium-sized Italian companies participated in the event,...
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Sephora launches online store for Hong Kong
Sephora has launched an e-commerce platform for the Hong Kong market. Part of the ongoing international expansion of its online retail arm, the online store will offer brands unavailable on the ground in Hong Kong, such as Butter London, Skin Inc and Nudestix. The...
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It’s Skin to enter Indian market though partnership with Dabur India
South Korean brand It’s Skin is set to target the burgenoning Indian market and will do so through a partnership with local retail behemoth Dabur India. It’s Skin is the fourth largest cosmetics manufacturer in South Korea and is said to have signed a deal with Dabur...
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Expansion continues apace at Iba Halal Care with three South African concessions and new South India store
Indian halal cosmetics brand Iba Halal Care is close to realizing its ambitious expansion plans, as reported in Global Cosmetics News in July, 2015. The company recently opened its first store in South India, in Bengaluru, bringing its total store count in India to...
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Will Australia’s pharmacy regulations review open doors for Walgreens Boots Alliance?
Walgreens Boots Alliance’s plans to establish a chain of Boots-brand pharmacies in Australia have been thwarted by pharmacy ownership regulations thus far, according to a report published by The Sydney Morning Herald, but a review due to report in March 2017 could...
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Japan: Set to ease visa rules for cosmetic workers?
The Japanese government is set to decide on a current bill that suggests economic zone regulations be eased up for regulations on foreign cosmetics professionals looking to work at Japanese companies. Also extending to designers and animators, the bill was drawn up...
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Takasago and Evolva flavor and fragrance alliance ahead of schedule
Ingredients maker Evolva has announced its multi-year R&D alliance with flavor & fragrance company Takasago is making headway, with milestones reached three months ahead of schedule. This has resulted in a total milestone payment of CHF 1 million to Evolva....
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Kose creates shelf space for key skin care range Sekksei
Japanese cosmetics company Kose has responded to growing consumer demand for its skin care line Sekksei and has given it more prominent shelf space in Japan and in global markets. The new dedicated areas will be located within department stores in Osaka, Tokyo and...
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Head of Personal Care, Hindustan Unilever promoted to Global Executive Vice President
The Vice President and Executive Director, Personal Care at Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Samir Singh, has been promoted to a global role for parent company Unilever, according to a report published by DNA India. Singh will take on the role of Global Executive Vice...
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