Yesterday, Amorepacific Japan has announced the closure of all directly operated stores for its natural skincare brand Innisfree in Japan. The final two locations—Lumine Est Shinjuku and Fukuoka PARCO—will cease operations on July 31 and August 17, respectively. Going forward, the company will pivot its focus toward e-commerce and wholesale channels.
Founded in 2000 in South Korea, Innisfree is known for its nature-inspired skincare products featuring ingredients like green tea grown on its own farm on Jeju Island. The brand had previously exited the Japanese market in 2014 but re-entered in 2018 with a retail strategy centered on in-store consultations and direct consumer engagement.
In recent years, intensified competition in the K-beauty space and shifts in consumer behavior driven by the COVID-19 pandemic have prompted Innisfree to overhaul its sales strategy. The company has been reallocating marketing investments from brick-and-mortar locations to online platforms and wholesale distribution. Since 2024, Innisfree has been expanding its presence in stores operated by the Matsumoto Kiyoshi Cocokara Group, marking a significant move into wholesale.
Amorepacific emphasizes that the store closures are part of a broader strategic shift and should not be viewed negatively.
It is worth noting that as early as the beginning of 2022, there were rumors that Innisfree would be making a major withdrawal from the Chinese market—shutting down over 600 stores, reducing its presence from more than 800 locations to just 140, with a closure rate exceeding 80%. At the time, according to multiple media reports, a spokesperson from Amorepacific confirmed the situation, stating that the group was optimizing the brand’s distribution channels and that such store adjustments would continue throughout 2022.
Then, in early July this year, Innisfree’s overseas flagship store on the Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao was shut down. Amorepacific stated that “this adjustment is part of the brand’s effort to further integrate resources and build more efficient channels, with the goal of providing consumers with higher-quality service and interactive experiences.”
