18. Kosé
Japan
www.kose.co.jp
Beauty sales: $1.5 billion

Key Personnel:

Yasukiyo Kobayashi, chairman; Kazutoshi Kobayashi, president; Izuo Ikemi, managing director; Masaru Enomoto, managing director; Shinji Ishikura, managing director.

Products/Brands:

Skin care, cosmetics and toiletries, under brands including Kosé, Awake, Albion, Sekkisei and Jil Stuart.

New Products:

Cosmetics—Cosme Decorte AQ skin care, Jil Stuart skin care, Esprique Precious makeup and Visee Rush Escalation makeup, Awake’s Stardom line. Cosmetaries—Fasio Hyper-Stay mascara, Rimmel makeup, Softymo cleansing oil and Coen Rich Q10 white hand cream.

Comments:

Sales fell less than 1% in the last fiscal year. Cosmetics accounted for 75.1% of sales; cosmetaries, 23.2% and other, 1.7%.

Cosmetic sales dropped slightly due to lower sales of the core Kosé brand. However, sales of Albion and Jil Stuart brands grew, thanks to wider distribution. Sales of the new Esprique Precious brand exceeded goals.

To inspire growth in a stagnant domestic market and build share at the global level, Kosé is focused on four key areas: Strengthening brand marketing; improving efficiency and profitability; targeting opportunities in growing markets; and training and fostering good employees.

The company is set on enhancing the Cosme Decort brand, and has established a business unit to pursue that goal. Outside Japan, Kosé will continue to focus on other Asian markets such as China, Taiwan and South Korea. In the cosmetaries business, the company is focusing on strategic brands and product categories.

In May, Kosé signed a distribution agreement with the Chalhoub Group to sell products in the United Arab Emirates. Plans call for three store openings the first year (two in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi), with the goal of opening 50 stores over three years. Looking ahead, management expects sales to rise 3.6% this year.

In March, the company announced a new product that focuses on the lamellar structure of the skin, which protects the skin from external influences such as drying UV rays, and helps to preserve moisture.