Kao collaborates with web influencers to sell cosmetics in China

Marketing strategy shifts as pandemic keeps bulk-purchasing tourists away

20210503N Beijing cosmetics

A Beijing cosmetics store: Kao is pivoting from its focus on face-to-face sales in department stores. © Reuters

YOHEI KAWAI, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Kao has started to formally do business with Chinese social media influencers who purchase the Japanese company's cosmetics in bulk for resale on online marketplaces at home.

In China, where word-of-mouth is king, people-to-people transactions have taken off with the spread of social media. The e-commerce market for cosmetics stands at roughly 4.8 trillion yen ($43.8 billion), according to Kao.

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