Latest news with #ShiseidoAsiaPacific
Straits Times
20-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Shiseido taps AI, online channels and slow ageing trend to stay relevant
SHISEIDO Asia Pacific president and CEO Nicole Tan said brick-and-mortar outlets remain a key part of the brand's strategy and appeal. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN SINGAPORE - The beauty industry has changed significantly over the last decade, and beauty companies have had to adjust accordingly to stay relevant. Among them is Japanese beauty brand Shiseido, which is tapping technology to better meet evolving consumer demands. One key move has been the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into its customer experience. Shiseido offers a visualiser device that captures detailed facial images to assess skin condition as well as blood circulation beneath the skin's surface. 'The visualiser takes a photo of your face and is able to capture not just the condition of your skin but also the circulation in your skin,' said Ms Nicole Tan, president and chief executive officer of Shiseido Asia Pacific. Combined with a short customer questionnaire, this technology enables a personalised skincare experience for customers, as opposed to generic product recommendations. Shiseido has also expanded beyond operating solely in physical stores to also having a strong online presence, with its products now available on e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Lazada. 'Online platforms have become a viable and indispensable avenue to shop and are complementary to the brick and mortar business model,' said Ms Tan. She added that brick-and-mortar outlets remain a key part of the brand's strategy and appeal. 'Although consumers like to cart out their items online, they still like having a physical store where they can try out the items, which is why we incorporated both brick-and-mortar shops and online platforms into our business model,' said Ms Tan. 'It cannot be one or the other; selling both online and physically have to go hand-in-hand.' Shiseido's growth strategy includes listening to and being aware of changing consumer needs with market trends, said Ms Tan. One of the biggest trends observed in recent years is the rise in demand for slow-ageing beauty products, or products that slow the process of ageing. Slow-aging is a movement focuses on prevention and long-term skin health rather than simply treating visible signs of ageing. In line with this trend, Shiseido launched its new Ultimune serum in March, targeting skin resilience and the root causes of ageing. The new addition to Shiseido's Ultimune series will add to its current product portfolio, which includes brands from Japan, the United States and Europe, including Shiseido, Anessa and Issey Miyake. Another part of Shiseido's growth strategy is also catering to customers who are now more aware and concerned about the ingredients in their skincare and beauty products, said Ms Tan. 'During and after the Covid-19 pandemic, we know that many consumers are having an increasing level of awareness and concern about ingredients that go into their products,' she said. For customers who want more ingredient transparency and control over the type of skincare they use, Shiseido's portfolio now also includes US brand Drunk Elephant, which offers its users skincare 'cocktails', which are combinations of serums and moisturisers tailored to individual needs. Shiseido's growth strategy includes listening to and being aware of changing consumer needs with market trends, said Ms Tan. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN Shiseido is also focusing on expanding into new markets. In 2023, for example, it launched US cosmetics brand Nars in India. 'This is part of our growth strategy – increasingly looking at our portfolio of brands and bringing to our markets the brands that are relevant and resonate with the market,' said Ms Tan. While the market has been very challenging, the good thing is that Shiseido has been consistently gaining market share, said Ms Tan. 'We'd like to continue in that aspect to do well and do well in each of our markets by being intentionally relevant. I think what's important is continuing to build the talent that we have,' she said. Shiseido is also diverse in terms of female leadership – with 67 per cent of women in director-level positions and above, said Ms Tan, who is the first female CEO for Shiseido. 'It'll be a key priority that we continue to focus on, ensuring that we have a positive work environment that's inclusive and a home for talent, so that talent chooses to come (to our company),' she added. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Korea Herald
06-04-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
K-beauty fuels Shiseido's global strategy: APAC chief
Nicole Tan says global brands now follow Korea's lead — from BB creams to next-gen wellness beauty Nicole Tan, president and CEO of Shiseido Asia Pacific, highlighted the rapid ascent of K-beauty and Korea's growing influence in the global beauty market. "Today, it's no longer just 'Korea for Korea,' it's 'Korea for the world' in the beauty industry,' Tan said in an interview with The Korea Herald during her visit to Seoul on Thursday for the launch of Cle de Peau Beaute beauty spa at The Shilla Seoul. As a brand under Shiseido, the luxury skincare and makeup label CPB introduced its first-ever beauty spa globally through a collaboration with The Shilla in Seoul and on Jeju Island this March. The spa program, built around the brand's signature products, is designed to offer personalized wellness and body treatment experiences. In Korea, the strong performance of the Shiseido and CPB brands has driven the company's overall beauty category growth to more than five times the market average in the last fiscal year. Having spent over 25 years navigating the beauty industry's trends and transformations, Tan said that Korea holds strategic importance and ranks among the top three markets for Shiseido in the Asia-Pacific region. She emphasized that K-beauty's global prominence — though seemingly recent to global consumers — has been years in the making. 'The K-beauty trend evolved over more than 15 years, slowly building momentum,' she noted, tracing its roots to innovations like BB creams, CC creams and cushion compacts — products pioneered in Korea that have since become staples in beauty routines worldwide. While some critics argue that K-beauty's reliance on low-priced indie brands could limit its longevity, Tan sees it differently. 'A lot of interesting trends actually started from low-priced mass brands in Korea and then evolved into mid-premium categories,' she explained. Tan cited cushion foundations as a prime example: initially dismissed by prestige brands, they have since become a global phenomenon embraced by major international players. 'Years later, it's still here — stronger than ever.' For Shiseido, Korea is not just another market but a strategic hub for innovation and cutting-edge consumer insights. Tan pointed out that trends originating in Korea often influence markets in Japan, Southeast Asia, China and the West. Recognizing this dynamic, Shiseido established the Korean Innovation Center in 2018 to monitor consumer preferences, technological advancements, and product trends — and to feed these insights into the company's global ecosystem. K-beauty trends have significantly shaped Shiseido's product development across its portfolio. The brand has embraced concepts like 'slow aging' and the 'no foundation look,' both popularized by Korean consumers. For instance, Shiseido's recent launch of its Ultimune serum — featuring advanced technology aimed at slowing the skin aging process — was inspired by Korea's strong focus on self-care. Understanding the discerning nature of Korean consumers is central to Shiseido's strategy. 'We've observed that Korean consumers are among the most demanding in the world, along with Japanese consumers,' Tan said.
