Makeup brand LUNA makes foray into Japanese offline cosmetics market with concealer

[Courtesy of Aekyung]

SEOUL -- In an effort to attract more Japanese consumers and expand sales channels, Aekyung, a major hygiene and cosmetics maker in South Korea, launched LUNA, a cosmetics brand, at major offline stores in Japan. Aekyung's concealer lineup capable of hiding skin blemishes has already gained popularity in the Japanese e-commerce market.

In 2021, LUNA made a foray into major online platforms in the island country including Qoo10 Japan and Amazon Japan. The cosmetics product called "LUNA Long Lasting Tip Concealer" was the second-most popular product in the concealer category at Amazon Japan's annual online shopping event in July 2021. The concealer used for covering up spots and dark circles is mainly consumed by young women in their 20s and 30s in South Korea. The product is also sold in China, the United States and Canada.

Long Lasting Tip Concealer will be sold at 650 offline stores in offline 12 Japanese cosmetics store channels including LOFT and PLAZA. "I think it is very symbolic that K-beauty is gaining popularity and gradually growing in Japan where consumers have a strong pride about using domestic products," Aekyung's spokesperson Lee Seung-dae told Aju Business Daily on November 10. Lee said the company is marketing the product using influencers in the island country.

Government data showed that the amount of imported South Korean cosmetics in Japan reached 30.6 billion yen ($293.3 million) in the first half of 2022, which account for 60 percent of annual imports in 2021. Among all cosmetics products imported to Japan during the first half of 2022, K-beauty products accounted for 33.9 percent, up 2.5 percent on-year.

The recent popularity of South Korean cosmetics products in Japan was boosted by the increased number of K-drama lovers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The great success of K-pop bands including BTS also boosted the popularity of K-beauty products. K-drama "Crash Landing on You" was the most popular drama content on Netflix in Japan in 2020.

Aekyung diversified online sales channels worldwide in 2020 by opening a brand store on Amazon in June and another in Tmall, an online shopping mall operated by China's e-commerce behemoth Alibaba Group, in November. K-beauty products have garnered popularity in Southeast Asia where demands for whitening cosmetics products are relatively high.

Kim Joo-heon jhkim123@ajunews.com

Makeup brand LUNA makes foray into Japanese offline cosmetics market with concealer

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