Columns related to the Japanese cosmetics industry

This section features columns by prominent figures in various fields related to the cosmetics industry.

Syukan Syogyo Publishing Published on Page 4 of Syukan Syogyo Publishing 27, Syukan Syogyo Publishing ] Since the single-item repeat mail-order business is a business model that generates profits from sales to repeat customers, many companies focus their efforts on guiding customers toward subscription plans—whether through advertising offers or during calls received by their call centers.　Once customers sign up for a subscription plan, companies can expect stable monthly sales even without ongoing promotional efforts, so it stands to reason that they would actively adopt this system. ...

[Published on page 2 of the June 29, 2026 issue of Syukan Syogyo Publishing ] Due to the nature of our work, all employees at our company order and test various cosmetic products. In doing so, I’ve noticed that, compared to the past, there seem to be more employees who have experienced some kind of skin problem.It’s not just our employees; when I ask friends and acquaintances from the younger generation, I hear the same thing. Even when they’re careful with their skincare, they report minor skin issues such as “I got a red rash” or “It stung, so I stopped using it”…

[Published on page 6 of the July 2026 issue of C&T] Introduction: Calbee limited the color scheme for the packaging of its flagship products, such as potato chips, to black and white due to the situation in the Middle East (including the turmoil in the Strait of Hormuz) (Figure 1).This allowed the company to cut ink usage in half, a move that was even reported by international media outlets such as the BBC and CNN. Many of the components in gravure ink—which is essential for package printing—are derived from naphtha (crude gasoline), a basic raw material for petrochemical products...

[Published on Page 6 of the July 20, Syukan Syogyo Publishing of Syukan Syogyo Publishing ] June 8 is World Oceans Day. While plastic pollution has become a common association with the ocean in recent years, the concept of “blue carbon” is gaining attention alongside this growing interest in the marine environment.We have explained “blue carbon” in previous articles; it refers to the carbon absorbed and stored by coastal ecosystems. The Ministry of the Environment took the lead globally by announcing calculations of carbon absorption through seaweed, which has drawn global...

[ Syukan Syogyo Publishing In addition to the CRM initiatives mentioned in the previous article, there are numerous logistics challenges at cosmetics e-commerce fulfillment centers. Among these, many companies face the dilemma of balancing “product storage space” and “management accuracy.”　Compared to other product categories, cosmetics tend to have a very large number of “SKUs (Stock Keeping Units).” An SKU refers to the units used to distinguish products based on factors such as color, size, and volume...

The Chinese consumer economy is showing signs of recovery, as evidenced by the figures for the first quarter of 2023. The cosmetics industry has also returned to vigor and intense market competition. In this issue, we will analyze the hot "beauty essence" market.　According to the "Magic Mirror Data," an EC sales tool in China, the total sales of beauty products on T-Mall, the largest EC company in China, amounted to approximately 23.4 billion yuan in 2010.　This represents an increase of about 10.5% over the previous year....

[Published on page 7 of the July 20, 2026 issue of Syukan Syogyo Publishing ] It’s interesting to see a steady stream of hair care products emerging from makeup brands popular among younger consumers.Brands like minum with its shampoo and rom&nd with its foldable comb are expanding their product lines into the hair care sector one after another. Although they are skincare brands, the limited-edition cherry-shaped brush from Medicube, created in collaboration with Won-young, also became a hot topic. “Makeup brands expanding into the hair care sector...”

Syukan Syogyo Publishing March 7, 2022, p. 10] While social networking posts by influencers in cosmetics marketing are becoming an established PR technique, many companies are taking measures and devising countermeasures to address various issues related to posts.　From the perspective of risk avoidance, one issue that cannot be avoided these days is the issue of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law. Last month, we conducted a survey of our Cosme Lounge members and found that more than 90% of the respondents said that they are careful about what they post these days....

Syukan Syogyo Publishing August 27, 2018, page 4] We have only about half a year left of the "Heisei Era," and looking back, there have been many natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, and torrential rains.　In these times, "dry shampoo" has been (re)gaining attention in recent years. Dry shampoo is a shampoo that does not require water or hot water to be rinsed off.　Its history can be traced back to "hair washing powder" at the end of the Taisho era (1912-1926). At that time...

[Published on page 5 of the July 16, 2018 issue of Syukan Syogyo Publishing ] On May 30, 2018, the Customs and Tax Regulations Commission of the State Council (Central Government) of China issued an official notification regarding new import duty rates from July 1, 2018.　In this issue, we will look at the readjustment of China's tariffs that went into effect on July 1. The tariff readjustment will result in a reduction of 1,449 items in terms of tariff numbers, with an average...

The top five Korean manufacturers ( Syukan Syogyo Publishing, LG Seikatsu Kenko, Misha, The Face Shop, and Skinfood) achieved a 34.9% increase in sales in the Chinese market in 2012 over the previous year to 3,022 million yuan, a significant growth. The total sales of the five companies are currently at RMB3.022 billion. Currently, the combined sales of the five companies are not even close to Shiseido's sales in China, but we need to carefully monitor the transition in the future.　In addition, O...

　On December 1, 2011, at-cosmetics announced the 2011 Best Cosmetics Awards, the 12th such award this year. 　The Best Cosmetics Award is unique in that it is a "live" ranking based on more than 1 million word-of-mouth reviews submitted by many ordinary women over the past year. 　The site operators cannot manipulate the results, and the entries are limited from the beginning...

No.96 Making the Most of Undercover Surveys

Nov 18, 2019

Junichi Enokido's Esthetic Salon Management: The Road to the Best Salon in the Region

Junichi Enokido

President, ES-ROOTS Corporation; Former Chairman of the Board, Esthetic Grand Prix Incorporated Association

Fruit Roots, which I manage, has won first place in both the "model salon category" and "facial technique category" at the 2nd Esthetic Grand Prix in Japan.　Of course, the response after winning the awards was great, but I believe that the undercover monitoring survey, a qualifying event for the Esthetic Grand Prix, contributed greatly to the growth of the salon and its staff.　Esthetic...

I have felt that getting something cheap at a bargain price or because it is a bargain at an Internet time sale is not the same as enjoying fashion in the true sense of the word. I cannot stop myself from feeling less and less interested in fashion.　On the other hand, young women have been working out to build muscular ... [Read More...

Published on page 12 of the December 10, 2018 issue of Syukan Syogyo Publishing ] I recently attended an event on new beauty businesses organized by venture capital firms and other organizations.　In the field of technology, research and development incorporating the latest technologies such as artificial intelligence and artificial skin seems to be very active, and it was interesting to hear about DIY cosmetics and new services in the field of marketing as well, in response to the trend of the personalization era.　Among them, personalized...

　The establishment of an air defense identification zone by China at the end of November 2013 has once again strained Japan-China relations, which is unfortunate since we were just beginning to see a recovery in business since the anti-Japan protests in 2012. However, given the stance taken by the Japanese and Chinese governments and the U.S., it is not unlikely that this will happen again in the future. 　In order to continue doing business under these circumstances, we need to pay attention to the political situation and...

In our column No. 34, Syukan Syogyo Publishing introduced the Accelerated Examination System for Trademarks. While this is a convenient system that can shorten the examination period to about two months, it is true that there are some hurdles to overcome, such as the requirement to submit evidence of use.　Under such circumstances, the JPO has decided to introduce a "fast-track examination" for trademark applications, and we would like to introduce the outline of this new system.　The fast-track examination...

No.43 "Fueling a Distribution Revolution" (Mr. Minoru Nakauchi, President of Daiei Co., Ltd.)

Jan 19, 2021

50 Years of Distribution Reporter "In Interaction with Top Management

Hideo Kato

Former Advisor to Syukan Syogyo Publishing Syukan Syogyo Publishing (Former Chairman of Syukan Syogyo Publishing Distribution Journal, retiring in 2020)

In 1992, almost 30 years ago, for the special issue of Ryutsu Journal commemorating the 30th anniversary of its first issue, I interviewed Mr. Akira Nakauchi, then president of Daiei, at its Tokyo headquarters in the Shiba Park Building (commonly known as the Gunkan Building) in Hamamatsu-cho, Tokyo.　At the entrance to his office was a spectacular array of cash registers that had been used by Daiei since the company's founding. Mr. Nakauchi himself poured coffee into a paper cup from a pot...

This issue of Syukan Syogyo Publishing will focus on AI and accounting. The progress of AI (Artificial Intelligence) over the past few years has been remarkable, and various companies have begun to develop AI-based services.　In the cosmetics and toiletries industry, there are a number of services that utilize AI, such as an application that allows users to try on makeup using augmented reality (AR) technology, chat-style beauty counseling, and ...

Published on page 5 of the July 20, 2015 issue of Syukan Syogyo Publishing ] Hello everyone. I am Goto, a certified public accountant.　In the last issue (Part 13), we discussed employee-initiated labor cost fraud. In this issue, I would like to introduce some cases in which personnel fraud is committed by human resources staff or managers with a certain level of authority.　Unlike employee-level fraud, the cases involving human resources staff and managers may involve falsification of personnel data and other methods to make the information add up....

　This time, we would like to consider the case of a select apparel company, Company A. 　Among apparel companies, there are two types: one is like UNIQLO, where customers shop for reasonably priced items on their own, and the other is like UNIQLO, where customers buy slightly overpriced items after a thorough explanation of the product. 　Company A is probably in the latter category.

　There is an old Chinese proverb, "the smell of alcohol is unforgivable in the street". This means that if the liquor is good, its good aroma can be traced deep into the alley. If the quality is good, customers will come even without advertising. 　This may have been true in the past in China. However, the current Chinese cosmetics market is like the Olympics. The best products from all over the world are gathered here and there...

　There are many factors that influence the purchase of cosmetics, including word of mouth, packaging, and brand name. 　Since cosmetics only promote beauty, image is important, and models play an important role in creating that image. When we think of a particular cosmetic product, we naturally associate it with its model. 　Popular stars and actors, who are the hottest topics of the time, are now the models for cosmetics...

　Previously, we introduced the 4Ps of the marketing mix: Product, Price, and Promotion, and this time we will focus on the last one, Place (sales channel policy). 　This time, we will focus on the last of the 4Ps, Place (sales channel policy). In a broad sense, it can be either a store or a non-store. In a broad sense, it starts with stores or no stores (e.g., mail order), and in a narrow sense, it includes whether the same store is a specialty store, a department store, a convenience store...

In the first issue of C&T (April 2017, p. 39), Neo Marketing Co. a company that provides comprehensive marketing support, and Colexia Corporation, a company that conducts market research based on marketing science.　The survey asked shoppers at both counseling and self-service coun...

Reels" is a short, 30-second video on Instagram. Cosmetics brands should start using Reels now. The reasons for this and specific methods of utilization will be introduced for those in charge who want to effectively transmit information on Instagram.　Reels will appear not only in the menu bar, but also at the top of the discovery tab search and hashtag search (as of August 2021...

The manufacturing industry is now facing unprecedented challenges: soaring raw material prices, a shortage of human resources, and barriers to the training of young workers. The manufacturing industry is now facing unprecedented challenges.　OEM companies find themselves losing their grip on proposals and are showing signs of exhaustion as they search for new clues. Brands, too, are failing to grasp the essence of "originality" in the midst of rapidly shifting needs, while holding up the slogan of "one and only one.　However, what is really required is "immediate sales" and "...