China's new emerging skincare brand "C+ Beauty" completed a Series B round of funding led by SIG. This round of funding will be mainly used for the expansion of the "C+ Beauty" product line and product development investment. Recently, China's new emerging skincare brand "C+ Beauty" completed a Series B round of funding led by SIG followed by its former shareholders Shunwei Capital, Buer Capital, and Belle Consumer Fund with LightHouse Capital acting as the exclusive financial advisor. This round of funding will be mainly used for the expansion of the "C+ Beauty" product line and product development investment. This is the third round of financing completed within seven months. Since its official operation in March 2021, "C+ Beauty" has completed two rounds of financing in June and September of that year. "The characteristics of quick results, high frequency, and affordable price make the mask category maintain a high growth rate for a long time." After an in-depth study of global mask consumption, Liang Xingmei, Vice President of LightHouse Capital, found that only the Chinese, Japanese and Korean markets are dominated by sheet masks while in the European and American markets, applying masks has a larger market share. But because applying masks was introduced into the Chinese market without changes to the needs of the local population resulting in their current low penetration rate. "After completing the differentiated innovation, the small jar of facial mask will be a blue ocean within the big red ocean sector of facial masks." The founder of "C+ Beauty" Xiao Rongshun believes that young women aged 21-30 are gradually becoming the main force in consuming facial masks and they not only pursue product efficacy but also focus on the spiritual value behind the brand. Xiao points out, "A good brand needs to meet both the needs of efficacy and spirit from consumers through high-quality products and this trait is especially prominent among the younger generation of consumers today." The term "C+ Beauty" comes from C+, which means China+. The company hopes to use the world's best technology and raw materials coupled with Chinese manufacturing so that mass consumers can also enjoy world-class quality products on an equal footing. People are born equal, and so is beauty. Life is beautiful and equal. Just like Tesla allows consumers to enjoy revolutionary electric cars, "C+ Beauty" also hopes to provide revolutionary products and become the "Tesla of beauty". At present, "C+ Beauty" has entered into strategic cooperation with KKV, THE COLORIST, Sanfu Fashion, and many other offline fashion retail brands in China and now has launched in more than 6,000 stores. The number of stores is still increasing rapidly. Xiao said, "small steps in the complete chain is more conducive to the sustainability of the brand to win when it is behind a lot." In the future, C+ Beauty plans to extend the main category of skincare and gradually develop into a leading brand in all categories, and create a multi-brand matrix.

TikTok's parent company ByteDance will launch its new fragrance brand Emotif which is available in 2ml and 9ml priced at $3.13 and $31.19 respectively It is understood that ByteDance-owned "EMOTIF" is doing the final debugging before its launching. It is doing the relevant tests in the third-party e-commerce platform currently. It is reported that EMOTIF perfume is divided into three sub-series "Electronic Love", "Flight in Deep Sea", "Pompidou only Drinks Champagne" respectively. The Emotif fragrances are available in 2ml and 9ml priced at $3.13 and $31.19 respectively. The Emotif fragrances are packaged in a stand-up spray style and the user holds down the presser to spray the fragrance on the body. In order to meet the consumer preferences of Generation Z, the fragrance notes of the "Pompidou Only Drinks Champagne" series are "floral and fruity". The fragrance notes of the "Flight in Deep Sea" series are "Fouche" and the fragrance notes of the "Electronic Love" series are "woody and floral". The perfumers of the above three perfumes are all well-known French perfumers and the world's top perfumers, they have perfumed for a number of well-known brands, such as Tom Ford, Armani and so on. It is worth noting that the fragrance concentration of the 9ml perfume is around 15% and the fragrance retention time can be up to 6-8 hours. In September last year, it was reported that ByteDance had a new layout in the new consumer field and would plan to launch a perfume brand "Emotif". Emotif" trademark has been applied for by ByteDance's affiliated companies. ByteDance’s choice of perfume sector also has multi-level considerations. First, China's perfume consumption is high. According to the data of iResearch, China's perfume consumers are less than 20 million people but the unit price is mostly in the $78.85-$126.16. That shows that the market potential is huge. Second, China has a complete industrial structure to support the development of the perfume industry so that ByteDance does not need to be a producer but only needs to make efforts in the operation and R & D, which can greatly reduce costs. Finally, with the weak advertising business and the lack of improvement in other businesses, ByteDance needs to find a new growth curve. The local perfume market, which has not been fully developed and is under less competitive pressure, may be a good choice.

Swiss perfume and fragrance supplier Firmenich is planning to reach out to the Chinese market with a new partnership with Chinese beauty retailer HARMAY. Recently, Swiss perfume and fragrance supplier Firmenich is planning to reach out to the Chinese market with a new partnership with Chinese beauty retailer HARMAY. Jason Ju, co-founder of HARMAY, said that China is expected to become the new frontier of the global boutique fragrance market with many local brands emerging and a significant increase in consumers especially among Generation Z. Ju said that the partnership with Firmenich hopes to inspire greater innovation and creativity in the industry. Olivier Viejo, Head of Fine Fragrances, Firmenich China, said he is joining forces with HARMAY to incubate future brands integrating their capabilities in consumer insights, digitalization, creativity and the art of perfumery to enter and develop the fine fragrance industry in China and across the world. It is reported that HARMAY, founded in 2008, is a new generation of retail brands in China, selling brands including both top international beauty brands such as LA MER, SK-II, Chanel and Kiehl's, as well as some exclusive and niche brands such as Balmain Hair, TANGENT GC and ICONIC LONDON. Previously, HARMAY also acquired Kevyn Aucoin, an American professional color cosmetics brand. Firmenich is one of the world's largest companies engaged in the research and production of fragrance ingredients and established a fragrance studio in China in 2019 to provide a premium fragrance experience to its customers.

More than a decade ago, a brand-new BB cream wearing red package (MISSHA Perfect Cover B.B Cream) suddenly rose in the highly competitive market of foundation. It became a must-have in many girls’ makeup bags with its unique formula, excellent makeup effect and high cost performance. With the continuous evolution of the market, this BB cream gradually faded out from foundation sector. From BB Cream to Magic Cushion, Du Yuzhuo will Bring the Pioneer of Korean Cosmetics Brand MISSHA to a Well Success More than a decade ago, a brand-new BB cream wearing red package (MISSHA Perfect Cover B.B Cream) suddenly rose in the highly competitive market of foundation. It became a must-have in many girls’ makeup bags with its unique formula, excellent makeup effect and high cost performance. With the continuous evolution of the market, this BB cream gradually faded out from foundation sector. The “successor” of MISSHA Perfect Cover B.B Cream, the MISSHA Magic Cushion Moisture, has made a comeback in 2021. MISSHA, the pioneer of Korean cosmetics which has taken root in the Chinese market for more than 16 years, finally managed to return to people’s sight again. “It is the outstanding formula that allows MISSHA’s foundation series a strong universal adaptability. Furthermore, we will bring more new products to our consumers while improving the user experience in the future.” said Ms. Du Yuzhuo, General Manager of Shanghai Ai Bo Xin Cosmetics Trading Company. A Tough War without Smoke Many people born in the 1980s and 1990s are familiar with the brand MISSHA. “Many people’s first BB cream is MISSHA Perfect Cover B.B Cream which is user-friendly and reasonably priced. It is no exaggeration to say that the launch of this product is actually a landmark for the whole BB cream market,” said Du Yuzhuo, “And that’s why MISSHA would seem a little overwhelmed when the BB cream products began to lose its competitiveness in the market now.” In the heyday of Korean cosmetics in those years, MISSHA, which taken the route of mass consumption, enjoyed much dividends. MISSHA’s store scattered everywhere—from first-tier and second-tier cities to five-tier and six-tier cities. However, MISSHA encountered more challenges as consumption in offline channel gradually shift to online shopping and consumers’ preference undergoes changes. Just like what Ms. Du Yuzhuo said: “MISSHA has established its brand recognition, but it also needs to tackle problems relating to stereotyped analysis of the consumers’ features and outdated products and so forth. What we tend to do is to re-energize the brand and gain a firm foothold in the fierce market competition.” But it is not easy to revitalize MISSHA in a short time. “We collected and analyzed a very large amount of data to identify the key elements that once connected MISSHA with the consumers. We hope to evoke people’s memories and establish an emotional connection between the brand and the consumers.” The MISSHA Perfect Cover B.B Cream is the key point in this idea. After a series of consumer surveys and big data analysis, we successfully gave MISSHA Perfect Cover B.B Cream a “successor”——the MISSHA Magic Cushion Moisture. This product, which was supposed to be in line with the habits of today’s young consumers, was made bundling sale with MISSHA Perfect Cover B.B Cream when it was first launched. “The idea was that this set of products could meet the needs of consumers in different scenarios, for example, they could use the BB Cream at home and a portable air cushion could be carried around for easy retouching.” But it is unexpected that this ideal match didn’t sell well. Although feeling confused and disappointed, Du Yuzhuo seriously reviewed in the situation. After further research on various consumer characteristics, she plunged into the preparation of a tough war without smoke. “What exactly do these young consumers growing up in the new consumer market like? What do they need and what will they be influenced by? In fact, these questions all require to be carefully studied by. Only when we truly match the brand assets with the new consumer groups can we see a second spring of mystery fashion. ” A Data-driven Iteration After determining the development direction of MISSHA, Du Yuzhuo led the team to conduct effective and strategic transformation. Once being a product manager of a Korean cosmetics brand and the director of operations in beauty-related department in Tmall, Du has a deep understanding on big data of brand expansion in the future. She thinks that “big data could often surprise us by contributing a brand to growing continuously with key time points and key events”. In September last year, MISSHA reached a strategic agreement with Lily&Beauty, a well-known online retail service provider in China, to exercise in-depth cooperation simultaneously. Du Yuzhuo said: “We need a partner who can breathe and grow with our brand. Changes in consumption patterns brought a series of market revolution. We will put priority on the online channels, streaming media marketing, and word-of-mouth communication. Moreover, MISSHA will further expand its product categories on the basis of consolidating and improving its overwhelming products. We also need to introduce more new products to meet the needs of today’s young consumers’ needs and make our brand become an indispensable part in their lives." With a full understanding on the development, dilemma and changes of Korean cosmetics brands, Du Yuzhuo knew that they were facing a real tough battle. However, she is such a woman enjoying challenges by nature that she was looking forward to it. During last year’s Double 11(Chinese Shopping Carnival), MISSHA only maintained a slight growth in sales due to its failure of matching existing products up consumers’ needs. But just a few months later, MISSHA not only launched MISSHA Magic Cushion Moisture which meets the current consumer habits but also became a bestseller among affordable BB Cream brands in this year’s Tmall campaign on June 18. What surprises us most is that this achievement was obtained without relying on the head live streaming channel at all. "We did a profound review after last year’s Double 11(Chinese Shopping Carnival) and conducted a deep analysis from multiple perspectives such as consumer profiles, product price, using habits, and communication channels. After that, we decided on the strategy we are executing now. In fact, before the campaign on June 18th, the conversion rate in many of our channels had already exceeded 40%. So we were actually not very surprised by the results achieved in the campaign.” said Du Yuzhuo. Just over 4 months later, MISSHA ushered in another hard war—the Tmall Double 11(Chinese Shopping Carnival). Unlike in the past, MISSHA implemented the strategy of “reducing products” in this year’s Double 11, which emphasized the rule of “less is more” to attract consumers. “We also adjusted the product price and discount policies to further segment the products according to the characteristics of targeted consumers. It turned out that we made the right choice.” The pre-sale, additional purchase and the TOP1 place in the hot-selling list have made people see the leap of MISSHA. What is more interesting is that the sales of MISSHA’s products soared again after Double 11. Even Du Yuzhuo herself felt a little surprised on such a performance, “I thought that the Double 11 had brought us the most consumers. I didn’t expect our Magic Cushion Moisture to sell over 60,000 units after its debut in Taobao Top living streaming with a turnover of over 5 million yuan.” In the opinion of this senior manager with rich experience in the beauty industry, the reason why MISSHA can regain its prosperity in the fierce competition market lies not only in its excellent quality but also in the refined operation based on industry in-depth research and big data analysis, and the marketing ability to promote popular products from scratch. “Times keeps changing. The so-called 'traffic dividend' is no longer applicable to the current market. So how can we really find the right way to communicate with our targeted audiences? That requires our understanding, knowledge and in-depth thinking of our brand. In this regard, Lily&Beauty does give us much new inspiration and direction." With the continuous upgrading of the market, the traditional marketing methods have failed to keep pace with young consumers. Upgraded marketing model combined with smart devices gradually become mainstream. “Now, we not only have to face the consumers of Generation Z but also need to communicate with the consumers of Generation α who tend to have more rational consumption. They are more willing to choose those products that are suitable for them with high performance-price ratio, which brings more opportunities for the further development of many beauty brands focusing on mass consumption.” “In Europe and the United States, mass beauty brands met the needs of young consumers who pursue new and innovative products in many situations. We believe that this will also be one of the trends in the developing Chinese beauty market. Now, mass beauty brands should put more effort in building their own brand identity and their overwhelming products. At the same time, with the help of elaborate management and marketing methods, they should revitalize resources and channels online and offline simultaneously in order to win market share in an era when new and prominent products keep emerging.” said Du Yuzhuo

Shanghai Chicmax Cosmetics Ltd. submitted its application for listing hearing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Shanghai Chicmax Cosmetics Ltd. submitted its application for listing hearing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on January 17, according to the disclosure document of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The disclosure document shows that the adjusted profit of Shanghai Chicmax Group will be $18 million and $42 million in 2019 and 2020, respectively, The adjusted profit for the first three quarters of 2021 reached US$45 million, an increase of 45.3% compared with the same period of the previous year. Revenue for 2019 and 2020 increased 17.6% to $453 million and $533 million, respectively, and gross profit increased 25.0% to $276 million and $345 million, respectively. Revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and the same period in 2021 are $363 million and $409 million, respectively, an increase of 12.7%; gross profit is $235 million and $267 million, respectively, an increase of 13.7%. According to the prospectus, Chicmax Group is the only Chinese cosmetics company with two skin care brands with annual retail sales exceeding $315 million in 2020, according to a Frost & Sullivan report. It ranked among the top five Chinese brand companies by retail sales for six consecutive years from 2015 to 2020. Its baby care brand, Baby Elephant, has exceeded $236 million in retail sales in 2020, ranking first in the Chinese market for domestic branded mother and baby care products. According to the prospectus, Chicmax Group currently has several categories of cosmetic products including KANS, One Leaf and Baby Elephant, which together contribute 86.6%, 91.8% and 91.1% of the company's total revenue, respectively. In addition, the document mentions that the mid-to-high-end brands ARMIYO, One Page, and Yamada Cultivation will be launched in 2022. By product category, the skin care category accounts for the highest percentage, accounting for 75.5% of total revenue of all categories in 2021 (as of September 30), while the baby care category accounts for 23.2%. In terms of sales channels, Chicmax Group's online sales in 2020 will be $401 million, up 69.0% year-over-year from 2019. For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company ranked among the top three Chinese branded companies in terms of online retail sales. In terms of financial ratios, Chicmax Group's gross margin for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 was 65.2% and net margin was 9.6%. In terms of product development, the prospectus shows that Chicmax Group's global R&D team is led by Dr. Levy, who is responsible for the overall management of all key R&D activities and the development of R&D strategies for the dual research centers in China and Japan. A core R&D team of seven internationally renowned scientists has also been formed. As of September 30, 2021, the R&D team consisted of 227 people, 92 of whom hold a master's degree or higher, accounting for approximately 40% of the R&D team. It is reported that Chicmax Group previously submitted an application for overseas listing to the China Securities Regulatory Commission on December 30, 2021. The current submission of listing application by Chicmax Group means that its listing process in Hong Kong has officially started.

Shiseido China decided to sell its brands Za and Pure&Mild to URUOI. The transaction is expected to be completed in March this year. It is reported that Shiseido China decided to sell its brands Za and Pure&Mild to URUOI. The transaction is expected to be completed in March this year and Shiseido did not disclose the specific amount of transaction. Talking about the reasons for the sale, Shiseido said that as the group is implementing its medium-and-long-term business strategy of Win 2023. It gradually focused on a business structure with beauty as its core. The company promotes business transformation to develop the leading brands. It strengthen its business roots and develop into a global group of beauty and skincare. With this in mind, Shiseido believes that the Za and Pure&Mild need external resources to drive their further growth. URUOI is understood to be a beauty brand management group. Shiseido China said, "URUOI has a consumer-centric omnichannel operation and its online business operation is particularly outstanding. We believe URUOI is the ideal partner to support both brands to reach new heights." After the transaction is completed, URUOI will be responsible for the future development plans of both brands but Shiseido will still provide support for the production of related products during the transition period. Public information shows that Za is established by Shiseido in 1997 for 18 to 21-year-old young women. Za focused on primer, foundation and its primer was once a best-seller. It had a certain degree of popularity in Chinese young consumers. The other brand, Pure&Mild, was established in 2001, which focused on plant-based skin care. It was also one of the first popular skincare brands to enter the Chinese cosmetic store channel. In March 2013, Pure&Mild transformed online with its official flagship store settled in the Chinese e-commerce platform Tmall. However, the performance of both brands online in China does not seem to be as good as it could be. In terms of data from the Chinese e-commerce platform Tmall, the accumulation of previous years has not given them a better competitive advantage. Its followers and sales volume are even far less than those of emerging Chinese beauty brands established in recent years. In the industry's view, Shiseido chose to sell it in order to focus on its core business. In fact, Shiseido had already made two other brand divestments prior to the sale of the Za and Pure&Mild. In February 2021, the Shiseido Group sold its 10 mass consumers brands including some personal care business such as TSUBAKI and SENKA to European private equity giant CVC Capital Partners for 160 billion yen (about $1.399 billion). In August 2021, Shiseido transferred three of its premium makeup brands, bareMinerals, Buxom and Laura Mercier, to U.S. private equity fund Advent Capital for $700 million. This deal is scheduled to close in December 2021. Together with Za and Pure&Mild, which will be completed in March this year, the Shiseido Group has sold a total of 15 brands. At this point, Shiseido basically completed the divestment of affordable brands, leaving 13 mass consumption cosmetic brands, including mid-to-high-end brands such as ANESSA, Revital, ELIXIR and d program. From the various actions in recent years, we can see that Shiseido is firmly determined to focus on high-end skincare brands. In terms of the group's strategy, apart from selling off a series of brands, Shiseido's layout in the high-end beauty market is also noteworthy. Last year, Shiseido Group's high-end brands THE GINZA, BAUM, Effectim and DrunkElephant have entered China and launched their efforts in the Chinese market with the help of China International Import Expo. In the matrix of brands in Shiseido, THE GINZA ranked top in its brandds. In September 2021, the first department store and the first boutique of GINZA were inaugurated at SKP in Beijing and IFC in Shanghai in China, which was the first time the brand was sold outside of Japan. Effectim, a high-end technology anti-aging brand focusing on "instrument + skincare", also opened flagship boutiques in Beijing and Shanghai.

Abstract: HP (Helicobacter pylori) colonizes the stomach and cannot be prevented or cured by brushing your teeth with toothpaste.

Beiersdorf AG invested in a start-up for digital dermatological appointments, called Dermanostic. Beiersdorf AG said Tuesday that it is investing in a start-up for digital dermatological appointments, called Dermanostic. The maker of Nivea, Eucerin and La Prairie products is taking an undisclosed stake in the Düsseldorf, Germany-based start-up through its Oscar&Paul Beiersdorf Venture Capital unit. Teledermatology is a growing space, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, making derm-related apps with advisory services alluring to investors. The way Dermanostic works is that people can book a service seven days a week, 24 hours a day, for 25 euros, no matter where they are located. A diagnosis by an experienced dermatologist is given within 24 hours after someone has uploaded three photographs and filled out a questionnaire about their medical history. People can find information on the offers and services through Eucerin.de, as well as Dermanostic.com. “We believe digital health and teledermatology offer huge potential, especially among the younger target group,” Ascan Voswinckel, head of Oscar&Paul Beiersdorf Venture Capital, said in a statement. “Digital dermatologist appointments offer our customers significant added value as they allow for swift, straightforward, inexpensive and professional advice regarding their skin indication. As such, Dermanostic’s new digital service is the perfect fit for our Eucerin brand and innovatively complements our dermocosmetic brand’s digital consumer journey.” “The collaboration with Dermanostic is a relevant aspect of our digitalization strategy,” said Cornelius Becker, head of Derma at Beiersdorf. “Especially in these times of COVID-19 and physical distancing, we must find digital ways of offering our consumers the right advice to solve their skin problems. By engaging in close communication with the experts at Dermanostic, we can learn from one another and thus do even better at establishing digital closeness with our consumers.” Becker added that the tie-in underlines Beiersdorf’s believe in the “life-changing power of dermatological skin care.”

Live streaming service company “Crossing Media” completed 10 million RMB of angle funding after establishment in 4 months Crossing Media, a live-streaming e-commerce service company, has completed an angel funding round of 10 million RMB within 4 months of its establishment. Founded in Los Angeles, USA, Crossing Media is a live-streaming-based business model that serves new Chinese brands go global. It also helps local e-commerce and international brands in Europe and the US to reach their target consumer groups efficiently on video social platforms such as TikTok and build brand marketing and sales systems overseas. In 2022, China's Internet, represented by ByteDance and Kwai, accelerated the globalization process and continued to make efforts in overseas markets. During post-pandemic, 2020 saw a concentrated explosion of overseas short video consumption with Amazon, Youtube, Instagram adding short video part and rapidly entering the live streaming market. According to research firm Coresight Research, the U.S. live streaming market will reach $11 billion this year and the global short-video industry is expected to exceed $100 billion in size within three years. Crossing Media has now completed the layout in Los Angeles, London and Shenzhen, China. It equipped with professional live streaming venues and equipment, set up local operation teams, and built a complete live streaming ecological operation system to meet the localized live streaming needs of various brands. Up to now, Crossing Media built nearly 30 live streaming in the three countries serving hundreds of brands from the US, UK and China. In June 2021, Crossing Media took the lead in forming warehouse in the UK, including major beauty brands such as TOM FORD, GIORGIO ARMANI, NARS, CPB, and also including Xiaomi, as TikTok opened live shopping cart in the UK and Indonesia and open the whole process of cross-border e-commerce from marketing, sales to logistics and after-sales customer service. Crossing Media is growing rapidly in the beauty, 3C digital and apparel sectors with monthly GMV growth reaching 200%. According to Taylor Tang, founder of Crossing Media, "Live e-commerce will definitely go global from China and more and more players will enter. The combination of Chinese vision and overseas genes can seize new opportunities in the midst of global consumer market changes."

JD opened two offline retail stores using robots to prepare and deliver packages. On January 10, 2022, JD announced the opening of ochama, a new model of "super warehouse store" in the Netherlands. Two ochama warehouse stores in Rotterdam and Leiden were officially opened on that day and two other new stores in Amsterdam and Utrecht will also be opened soon. These two stores are the first independent retail brand business in Europe outside of Southeast Asia and ochama has become the first Dutch retailer to offer a full range of online shopping including fresh produce. As a "super warehouse store", ochama on the one hand takes the lead in becoming a local online "department store" with product categories covering food and fresh food, household appliances, beauty, mother and baby care, fashion, household items and so on. The store offers a large number of selected brand products. On the other hand, ochama placed its automated stocking warehouse in front of the store. Its robotic arms, AGV automatic handling robots and bin transfer systems can be seen in the stores. All online shopping orders are stored, sorted and transferred by robots in the store so that customers can personally experience the futuristic feeling of automatic shipping technology. In addition, customers can also experience selected products in the store display area and receive humanized after-sales service from store staff. The name "ochama" means "omnichannel amazing". Ochama creates the world's first retail model that integrates omnichannel shopping, intelligent supply chain, automated warehouse picking, offline stores and home delivery services to achieve a one-stop, worry-free and fast shopping experience. "We want to bring an unprecedented shopping experience to European consumers," said Lei Ling, head of the ochama project from JD's international business. "With JD's years of accumulated retail, logistics and supply chain experience, the new robotic warehouse store will bring high-quality products, more attractive prices and more convenient services to local Dutch consumers." The Netherlands is one of the most urbanized countries in Europe with World Bank data showing that more than 92% of the Dutch population will be concentrated in urban areas and characterized by the development of polycentric cities by 2020. Therefore, ochama chose the way of "one store in one city" to debut in the Netherlands. Some analysts believe that the entry of JD into the European market means that it will pose a threat to Amazon. It is understood that Amazon has already opened "Amazon Go" stores without cashiers in the U.S. and U.K. markets. In recent years, JD has taken its international steps. It not only operates an overseas online shopping site but also owns an e-commerce joint venture in Thailand and is the largest shareholder in the Vietnamese shopping platform Tiki. JD is a Chinese self-owned e-commerce company with JD Mall, JD Finance, Paipai, JD Smart, O2O and overseas business. JD is ranked 59th in the Fortune 500 in 2021 and has a market capitalization of $108.108 billion as of Jan 10, 2022, 16:00:00.

Yasuhiro Miyata from Kose Group: Natural and Environmentally Friendly Cosmetics will be Popular. Editor's Note As the leader in global economic growth, China's beauty market is booming. The market breaking through trillions of dollars in volume will soon become the top in the world. Looking into the future, international beauty giants prepare for the competition while domestic enterprises are following. Whether the big ship proceeds smoothly without a hitch, the helmsman is responsible for an important mission.CHAILEEDO holds a column "CEO on Trends" and we interview CEOs from well-known cosmetic companies at home and abroad to discuss the future increment and trends of the Chinese market. It has been 33 years since Kose Group entered China. But because it has not appeared in many major industry events, many people still have a traditional impression of Kose Group as a few major brands such as DECORTÉ and SEKKISEI. This year, when Kose Group participated in the 4th China International Import Expo for the first time, it gathered its brands such as DECORTE, SEKKISEI, INFINITY, ONE BY KOSÉ and Prédia, which are already present in the Chinese market, as well as foreign brands like ADDICTION, JILL STUART, VISÉE and STEPHEN KNOLL. Kose Group really gave the industry a refreshing sight. This move by Kose Group is also intended to let the industry see their confidence and determination to cultivate the Chinese market. As one of the four Japanese beauty giants, how will Kose develop in China in the future? What trends do they see? In this regard, Qeyes interviewed Yasuhiro Miyata, Chairman of Kose Cosmetics Sales (China) Co. Continue focus on high-end Since its entry into China in 1988 and 33 years of developing the Chinese market, Kose China has undergone a transformation from "local production" to "introducing Japanese imported brands". In the early days, the locally produced brands contributed a large part of the sales. But with the trend of consumer upgrading in China, consumers are more and more prefer to middle and high-end brands such as DECORTE and SEKKISEI. High-end products have become an inevitable trend of consumer upgrading. In this context, a number of high quality Japanese imported brands such as DECORTE, SEKKISEI, INFINITY, ONE BY KOSÉ and Prédia have entered the Chinese market to open up a wide world for Kose China in the high-end cosmetics market. From the introduction of the high-end series by SEKKISEI in 2017, the introduction of the upgraded AQ Soothing Series and AQ Precious Essence Series by DECORTE in 2018 and 2019, respectively, to the introduction of the highly effective skincare brand ONE BY KOSÉ in 2020, Kose China has gradually improved its high-end product matrix and simultaneously enhanced the high-end development of the brand. At the same time, in terms of product upgrades, Kose China has made adjustments and upgrades through front-line research, listening to market feedback, and figuring out consumer needs to rapidly increase consumer awareness of the brand in the face of fierce market competition in order to constantly adapt to the changing market and demand. "Last year, in the the 35th anniversary of the launch of SEKKISEI, a rebranding was carried out for the first time with the concept of 'CLEAN BEAUTY'. In the spirit of 'elements of sustainability', we introduced a new basic skincare series" For Yasuhiro Miyata’s view, Generation Z is leading consumer trends in the Chinese cosmetics market. "In the post-epidemic era, we are concerned about market trends in China. Generation Z, which is increasingly concerned about environmentally conscious cosmetics, is expanding rapidly. We expect to see a trend toward premiumization in the future. At this year’s China International Import Expo, the new products, which symbolize the rebirth concept and core values of the SEKKISEI, will also receive a strong and focused promotion." In addition, the iconic product of the DECORTE, DECORTE Moisturizing Lotion, will also receive its first upgrade after 29 years on the market. It will be renewed as "DECORTE Liposome Advanced". It is no longer just a moisturizing serum but an all-around skin activating treatment lotion that repairs and changes from the root of the skin. It is said that each drop of the newly upgraded lotion contains about 1 trillion "new multi-layered micro-lipidic capsule". The concentration of beauty nourishing ingredients in the capsule is 1.5 times than the previous generation, which can achieve 24-hour moisturizing and the use of the efficacy of the expansion to reduce lines, stabilization, brightening, firming and other 11 dimensions to effectively balance the micro-ecology of skin. "In the future, for companies like ours, each product upgrade must be done through repeated research. And it will continue to be a five-position system of research, production, planning, design and sales. All ideas will be customer-centric and deliver the 'ultimate skin aesthetics' to everyone." Yasuhiro Miyata said. Products in flagship store have been aimed at market demand and ushering in a comprehensive upgrade. Kose, which pursuing excellent product quality, sees decades as a day to adhere to the craftsmanship. Kose brings the ultimate product power to consumers while develop a key step for Chinese market by fighting the high-end war in China with its high quality. Combination of technology and beauty Technology has gradually become the new driving force for the development of the beauty industry. In the market, consumers' perception of their own needs became more clear. Their requirements for the technological content and practicality of beauty products become more higher. That will prompt beauty companies to continuously introduce innovations that are truly applicable to the Chinese market. Yasuhiro Miyata recognizes that consumers do not like brands that are set in stone, they want new experiences and try to find a link to the brand from new pleasures. That's why, while Kose is dedicated to developing quality products, it is also constantly exploring cutting-edge technologies. "The fusion of technology and beauty has become an important factor in the development and innovation of the beauty industry. At this China International Import Expo, Kose Group, which is exhibiting for the first time this year, is offering new experiences to visitors, namely a nail printer and a personalized custom mask machine." Yasuhiro Miyata introduced. It is reported that Nail Printer, a nail printer from the Kose Group in collaboration with CASIO, is able to recognize the shape, curvature and contour of the nail and then print out a fitted nail directly. Consumers simply stick their fingers into the machine, select a pattern of their choice, press a button, and the machine will spray the pattern on their nails. At the same time, Nail Printer is a convenient new experience service that confirms the breakthrough and innovation in technology of the Kose Group. Another new experience tool is the "Customized Mask", which creates 3D data through the Bellus3D and then prints and provides customized mask cloths on site, adapting and matching different cosmetics to the different needs and face shapes of consumers, providing a differentiated and refined service. "I firmly believe that we can eliminate customer anxiety and give them peace of mind and safe access to cosmetics, ultimately achieving consumers' 'beauty' and 'smiles by providing such non-contact personalized customer service and experience'" Yasuhiro Miyata said. As a professional cosmetics group founded in 1946, Kose is known for its outstanding quality and research and development capabilities. Since its founding, Kose has always been dedicated to the field of cosmetics and to bringing beauty to consumers by sincerely exploring the true meaning of beauty as their starting ideal. It is for this reason that Kose has been able to differentiate itself with its strengths and has won the hearts of consumers while catering to their individuality. China is the most important market Kazuyuki Shinohara, General Manager of Kose Cosmetics Sales (China) Co., Ltd. said at a pre-show roadshow at the 4th China International Import Expo: "In 2020, Kose China has achieved the highest sales and profits in years by increasing revenue and profit. In the last three years, our sales have tripled. This is a valuable opportunity brought about by China's rapid economic development and the rapid growth of the high-end cosmetics market." Yasuhiro Miyata said this is based on China's rapid economic recovery from the new pandemic and our ability to capture "the changing preferences and motivations of consumers" and respond adequately accordingly. By largely expanding both online and offline to provide reassuring and trustworthy products to a core group of customers across a wide range of sectors and needs, Kose China meets consumer demands by responding to ongoing challenges. "As consumers spend more time at home and wear masks for longer periods of time due to COVID-19, the importance of skin care has been refreshed. In terms of makeup, consumers are focusing on lipsticks that are less likely to fall off and foundations that provide good coverage and do not easily get on the mask. There has been a huge change in customer demand, which in turn has created a whole new set of needs. Such changes are not a crisis, but should be viewed positively as a business opportunity and then seized and moved forward with the momentum." In 2026, the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Kose Group, China is the most important market in the "VISION 2026", the medium and long-term vision of the Kose Group for the 80th anniversary of the founding of the company, which influences the growth of the entire group. With China as the focus of global development, the Kose Group will also actively promote the integration of the brand in the Chinese market both online and offline to interact more deeply with young consumers online and further strengthen face-to-face services with consumers offline to fully convey the brand's sense of value and world view. "This year's Expo is presented as the Kose Group. In order to correspond to all of our group's customers and consumers, the Chinese market will definitely be the most important market." Yasuhiro Miyata said that in the future, we will be more flexible in using group collaboration to actively conduct business. They are committed to closely integrate brand, product and experience to better lead the Chinese market. Talking about the next growth point for Kose in China, Yasuhiro Miyata believes that in the midst of social unrest caused by the COVID-19, people are increasingly looking for nourishment, color and the joy of being healed in their lives. People are looking to cosmetics to make our world a brighter place and this essential value is now being fully recognized again. The current trend in the Chinese market is the "ingredient party" and "CLEAN BEAUTY". The concern for products containing healthy and safe natural ingredients. The penetration of cosmetics that are friendly to people and the environment are two trends that are rapidly expanding among the consumer base centered on Generation Z. At the same time, he said, consumers' information-gathering paths and purchasing methods are rapidly changing and diversifying as a result of the pandemic. Both digitalization and e-commerce continue to accelerate. Kose China merged online and offline customer data and will communicate more closely with customers in the future. We combine the service power that our company is known for with the latest digital technology to personalize the customer experience. We create a beauty experience that only Kose can create. "We promise that not only for the exterior but Kose also wants to take care of every customer's heart." Through 33 years of development in China, Kose is deeply rooted in China. From product development to marketing and promotion, all of our products are closely focused on the needs of Chinese consumers and China has become an important engine for Kose's global development. With the continuous improvement and innovation of Kose's localization strategy, more possibilities will be opened in the future.

In response that Sun Laichun, founder of Chinese skincare brand Forest Cabin, accusing Chanel of launching a series of red camellia skincare products, Chanel responded that it has been researching camellia skincare products for more than 20 years. A few days ago, Sun Laichun, founder of Chinese beauty brand Forest Cabin, recently accused French brand Chanel of entering the sector of "red camellia skincare" at the beginning of the New Year, which is a "premeditated" declaration of war. Chanel responded: "Chanel has led an ambitious research focused on camellia beauty products together with globally renowned experts and partners for more than 20 years." In a published statement, Chanel said that it has an exclusive camellia plantation and botanical analysis laboratory in Goyac, France. Chanel's Camellia moisturizing line has been on the market for 10 years, and Camellia has never changed as the core of Chanel's skin care products. Chanel also said that Gabrielle Chanel pinned a camellia flower to her waist in 1913 in Etretat, France. Since then, the camellia has become a symbolic symbol of Chanel and it is used in clothing, watches, fine jewelry, perfume, makeup and skin care products. A few hours after Chanel's response, Sun Laichun on Chinese social media platforms again, the content is "tribute to science and technology: Forest Cabin obtained 64 patents in 10 years". His post can be interpreted combined with Chanel's response: "Although Chanel developed camellia earlier, Forest Cabin obtained more patents in research and development." An attorney Feng Zichen from Beijing Hairun Law Firm said, Chanel "red camellia skin care products" may have formed a competitive relationship with Forest Cabin. But only the launch of the same sector of products does not mean that Chanel constitutes unfair competition. For Chanel "poaching" from Forest Cabin, Feng Zichen said in the absence of instigation, luring and other ways to disclose the original employer's commercial and technical secrets, the normal workers to replace the employer can not indicate that the new employer constitutes unfair competition. "So I think at the moment Chanel does not violate the principle of fair competition, conduct unfair competition and other acts that violate Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the People's Republic of China." Feng Zichen also pointed out that the full text posted by Sun Laichun did not explicitly accuse Chanel of "unfair competition" under the law. It is biased that directly accusing Chanel of unfair competition. But Sun Laichun said in the text that "Chanel did not put much energy in the skincare research and factories and most of its products are produced by OEM in various countries. It also didn’t have the advantage of the raw material of Forest Cabin's 10,000 mu planting base. This species can not be planted in Europe and America, so Chanel does not have the genetic conditions to launch red camellia skincare products". If there is no conclusive evidence, there is a possibility of violating Article 11 of China's Anti-Unfair Competition Law, which states that "operators shall not fabricate or disseminate false or misleading information to damage the business reputation and product reputation of competitors do not exist.