Chinese beauty brand Florasis is recalibrating its global growth strategy, turning its focus toward Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe as political tensions with the US intensify.
“For now, we’ve shifted our strategy from the US market to Southeast Asia,” said Gabby Chen, Florasis’ president for global markets, in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “There’s been huge political changes for the global markets, but prior to that, the US remained very strong as our top global market.”
Founded in Hangzhou, Florasis has rapidly risen to prominence as one of China’s best-selling cosmetics brands on major online platforms such as Tmall and Douyin. Known for its ornate packaging and formulations inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, the brand has built a loyal domestic following and now ships to more than 100 countries.
Florasis’ decision reflects a broader trend among Chinese companies rethinking their international strategies amid shifting trade dynamics. While exports to the US have dropped — plunging 27% in September — stronger demand from non-US markets, including the European Union, has buoyed China’s overall trade performance.
Despite redirecting new investments away from the US, Florasis remains active in the market. The brand has amassed over one million TikTok followers and collaborates with around 1,500 US-based influencers annually. “The US remains the center of our social media exposure,” Chen said. “We are still working with a lot of influencers, still doing social media engagement. There are many things still going on — we just didn’t keep putting in more and more.”
