Entering its seventh year, the China International Import Expo (referred to as “CIIE”) has become even more significant for international beauty companies.
On November 5th, the seventh CIIE commenced at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, with the theme “New Era, Shared Future.” A total of 3496 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions participated in the corporate exhibition, covering an exhibition area of over 360,000 square meters. The number of Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders attending reached 297, setting a new historical record.
Today, the CHAILEEDO CIIE reporting team observed a bustling scene in the cosmetics and daily care products section located in Hall 6.1, with international beauty giants such as L’Oréal, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Shiseido, and Estée Lauder all making appearances. They seized the opportunity of this important annual stage in China to showcase numerous new technologies, products, and brands.
Simultaneously, it is hard to ignore the backdrop that in the first nine months of this year, China’s cumulative imports of cosmetics decreased by 11.7% compared to the previous year, falling below 900 billion for the first time in nearly four years. Correspondingly, several international beauty giants have experienced a slowdown in growth in the Chinese market, urgently needing to find new growth engines.
Therefore, at this CIIE, international beauty giants have stated their confidence in the Chinese market. This declaration is not just a bold slogan but also symbolizes their rallying cry to regroup in the Chinese market. It can be said that after seven years, the significance of the CIIE has become even more critical.
More than just “new,” technology is advancing
“This year, the major groups have launched many new products, and you can tell they put a lot of effort into them,” a beauty industry professional at the scene expressed to CHAILEEDO. While releasing new products, brands, and technologies has become a routine action for international beauty giants at the CIIE, as trendsetters in the global beauty market, each time they launch something new, it still holds significant symbolic meaning.
According to incomplete statistics from CHAILEEDO, at this CIIE, international beauty giants such as L’Oréal and Estée Lauder brought at least over a hundred new products making their debut in the Chinese market or globally, along with numerous new brands and technologies.
This year, as it marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, L’Oréal, appearing for the seventh consecutive time at the CIIE, showcased over 220 products, spanning 21 brands, including 3 beauty tech innovations and multiple new products. Among them, the Lancôme, Vichy, and La Roche-Posay all debuted their products globally, underscoring L’Oréal’s commitment to the Chinese market.
Noteworthy is PUREOLOGY, a luxury hair care brand under the L’Oréal group, which made its “Asian debut” at this event. According to on-site staff who spoke with CHAILEEDO, “This brand is positioned higher than the premium brand Kérastase within the group, utilizing a sulfate-free technology formula and has already been launched in cross-border e-commerce during the Expo, providing multiple benefits for hair care, color locking, and scalp care.”
Estée Lauder this year emphasized “technological innovation,” dedicating over one-third of the booth area to a research and development zone covering key areas of the group’s current research efforts, including nighttime skin repair, luxury skincare and fragrances, dermatological skincare efficacy, and skincare and makeup. Simultaneously, Estée Lauder brought the star products of 17 of its brands, along with nearly a hundred new products such as Estée Laude, La Mer and Bobbi Brown.
As a representative of Japanese makeup companies, Shiseido also utilized the CIIE as a crucial platform for new product launches, showcasing 30 debut products from 12 brands.
In addition, Kao Corporation’s brand Curel pre-revealed the “Curel Moisture Immersion Moisturizing Isolation Repair Cream,” set to be released in 2025, developed for dry and sensitive skin, containing Kao’s research on ceramide functional substances.
Behind the array of new products and technologies, CHAILEEDO noted that international beauty giants are notably more proficient in scientific communication, employing more technology and on-site experiences in technical demonstrations and product introductions, enabling consumers to experience the companies’ technological prowess firsthand.
At the site, Shiseido Group presented a “Beauty Moment Experience Cabin” simulating a future autonomous travel space. Visitors could undergo skin diagnostics using “4D facial aging simulation technology” and receive comprehensive skincare recommendations provided by Shiseido. Procter & Gamble, for the first time, set up an “Intelligent Exploration Technology Advancement” smart instrument experience area, showcasing smart instruments including adaptive robots, Head & Shoulders scalp analyzers, SK-II skin light transmission mirrors, OLAY HAPSENSE skin sensing testers (OLAY watch), and Pampers smart quality testing equipment, demonstrating how technology empowers innovation and quality from consumer testing and product design to quality control.
At the L’Oréal booth, technology permeated various aspects of company operations, including but not limited to products, research, supply chain, ESG, and consumer scenarios. At this CIIE, L’Oréal’s Skin Tissue Engineering Technology Platform made its debut. This platform combines biology, mechanical dynamics, and electrical practices to create inclusive test models that simulate the complexity of human skin, aiming to enhance the testing standards of the cosmetics industry.
CHAILEEDO also observed that in addition to numerous new products and technologies, the “new faces” of international beauty giants also garnered attention. For example, Coty China’s “new handsome” Mathieu Dufresne made his first public appearance at the CIIE and was interviewed on-site by CHAILEEDO. He mentioned that the key phrase in the current Chinese beauty race is “competitive but inclusive” and believes that the Chinese perfume market still holds immense growth potential.
Deeper Localization, Bolder Investment in China
At the CIIE, through visiting exhibitions and face-to-face exchanges with several international beauty giants’ representatives in China, CHAILEEDO discovered that these enterprises have gained a deeper understanding of the Chinese market. The related product and brand layouts have become more grounded, showcasing a completely new outlook.
Makoto Okura, General Manager of Kao (China) Cosmetics, stated in an interview with CHAILEEDO that “Chinese consumers” have become a frequently mentioned keyword. He mentioned, “After this year, Kao will further accelerate the development of localized products for the Chinese market under the brands Freeplus and Curel. Freeplus will focus its product development base in China to continue catering to Chinese consumers.” It is worth noting that at this exhibition, Freeplus and Curel displayed a variety of products developed for Chinese consumers’ skin and needs, produced in China specifically for the Chinese market.
Korean beauty giant Amorepacific also considers Chinese consumer demands as a crucial factor in product development. For example, their skincare brand Mamonde showcased a new liquid mask at this event, which had its formula concentration adjusted based on the differences in Chinese consumers’ skincare habits.
Furthermore, the Estée Lauder China Innovation and Research Center unveiled several localized studies at the CIIE, highlighting this international beauty giant’s growing awareness of the importance of understanding Chinese consumers. According to on-site staff, the Estée Lauder Group’s China Research and Development Center presented for the first time a big data study on Chinese women’s skin tones. Combining AI algorithms, the study utilized skin tone data from over 2.3 million Chinese women aged 16-24 across 31 provinces, 337 cities, providing a reference for skin tone distribution and skin texture exploration among the Chinese population.
Unilever’s China research team showcased the results of the second phase of their research project on “stress skin” among young women. This project focused on the multidimensional measurement of one of society’s current hot topics, “stress,” integrating genomics, microbiomics, and proteomics advantages to conduct a holistic assessment and correlation studies on stress skin (skin, hair, and scalp) across macro/micro levels and different age groups.
In terms of product promotion, integrating traditional Chinese concepts has become an attempt by international brands to bring themselves closer to Chinese consumers. Shinohara Kazuyuki, Chairman and General Manager of Kose China, told CHAILEEDO, “Kose is exhibiting brands such as Decorte, ADDICTION, JILL STUART, and Stephen Knoll at this event, introducing the Chinese debut of the Sekkisei BLUE series. This series emphasizes the beauty of skin derived from the traditional Chinese fundamental concept of ‘spirit, blood, and water,’ integrating environmental protection concepts with Oriental aesthetics.”
Apart from product development and promotion, the trend of international beauty companies transferring their supply chains to China is becoming more apparent. CHAILEEDO learned that Unilever, exhibiting nearly a hundred products from ten brands, is continuously expanding its business layout in China, actively advancing the Guangzhou full-category production base project with an investment of 1.6 billion RMB. The first phase of this base’s daily chemicals factory has already been completed and put into operation. Furthermore, in September of this year, Unilever inaugurated a new beauty and health business category factory in Hefei.
It is evident from various signs that international beauty companies are making unprecedented investments in the Chinese market, and the CIIE has become their window to showcase confidence and strength in deeply cultivating the Chinese market.”
Seven-year itch: Imported cosmetics that have decreased need the CIIE more than ever before
Notably, beneath the spotlight of international beauty giants, there is a group of emerging imported beauty brands that view the CIIE as a crucial showcase window for entering the Chinese market. As a senior industry insider put it, “For imported brands that are just entering China, the CIIE can be considered the most formal platform for official announcements.”
Chantecaille, a high-end beauty brand participating in the CIIE for the first time this year, holds a strong belief in the Chinese high-end market. Emily, the CEO of Chantecaille under the Biersdorf Group, told CHAILEEDO, “Although the Chinese high-end beauty market still faces challenges, China remains one of the largest high-end beauty markets globally. Currently, Chantecaille is still in its early stages in China. Next year, we plan to open at least one offline store.”
Tracel, a new Zealand natural oral beauty brand that entered the Chinese market this year, is targeting the domestic high-end oral beauty market. By participating in the CIIE, Tracel aims to promote its brand further. Kerrin Harrison, the global CEO of Tracel, stated, “Tracel will actively expand its offline channels by collaborating with pharmacies and high-end chain supermarkets, allowing more Chinese consumers with whitening needs to experience high-quality products from New Zealand.”
Just last month, the China Association of Fragrance Flavor and Cosmetic Industries released a comprehensive report based on various third-party data studies. According to their findings, the overall size of the Chinese beauty market in terms of GMV in 2023 was approximately 1044.45 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of 3.61%, making it the largest market by country globally. Moreover, according to research data from Euromonitor, the per capita consumption of cosmetics in China is much lower than countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and South Korea. These figures all imply significant growth potential for the Chinese cosmetics market.
During this CIIE, several leaders of international beauty giants expressed optimism about the prospects of the Chinese market. Meiwa Toshinobu, President and CEO of Shiseido China, stated during the CIIE, “Shiseido has been rooted in China for over 40 years and has never wavered in its confidence and determination to invest in China.” He highlighted that the Chinese market has evolved into an extremely crucial overseas market for the Shiseido group, and they will continue to persist in making long-term investments in China.
Xu Min, Chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble Greater China, pointed out, “This year marks P&G’s sixth consecutive year participating in the CIIE. As an ‘old friend’ of the CIIE, we always feel the ‘new opportunities’ brought by the Chinese market here. We are full of long-term confidence and strategic determination for the Chinese market.”
Perhaps as Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO of L’Oreal Group, mentioned, “For L’Oreal, the CIIE is an excellent opportunity. There is no other event in the world like this grand occasion that we invest in so deeply. We are still excited to participate in the CIIE, breaking the ‘seven-year itch’.” For imported beauty brands, the CIIE has always been an important showcase window for entering the Chinese cosmetics market, and now, this window is becoming increasingly crucial.”
