Uniqlo and Shiseido among Japanese brands to lose luster in China

Local and South Korean names win fans through 'strategic' social media marketing

20210127 Uniqlo Beijing RC2B1H9WQD97

Pedestrians in face masks walk past a Uniqlo casualwear store at a shopping complex in Beijing. © Reuters

SHUHEI YAMADA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- It seems like yesterday when Chinese tourists were flocking to Tokyo and beyond to grab Japanese products ranging from electronics to cosmetics. But loyalty to these brands may now be eroding, an analysis of microblog posts shows.

Japanese brands may be falling behind social-media-savvy rivals from China and South Korea that leverage a trend in the Chinese e-commerce market: Products that draw interest on social platforms enjoy a subsequent spike in sales.

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