New Zealand skincare products company Trilogy International says it will expand further in Asian.

It says its chain of stores in Hong Kong and growing “cult” status in Japan serve as a catalyst to expansion in the region.

With the Asian skincare market projected to be worth in excess of $20 billion in 2014, Trilogy International CEO Stephen Sinclair believes the market opportunity for Trilogy is huge.

The region currently represents 14 per cent of Trilogy’s natural skincare business and Japan alone is its fourth largest market.

“Every time I’m in Asia, whether it’s in one of our more established markets or a new one, I see and hear evidence of the demand for quality products coming out of New Zealand. In department stores and specialist retailers throughout the region, more and more space is being devoted to innovative, high-performance natural skincare from our part of the world,” said Sinclair.

Trilogy has well-established relationships with department and specialist stores such as Isetan and CosmeKitchen in Japan and Robinsons in Singapore. Newer markets including Hong Kong and Thailand also offer exciting retail prospects.

Newly appointed sales and marketing executive Li Jiang will work closely with distributors and key retailers throughout the Asian region to maximise opportunities in their local markets. Jiang has an existing affiliation with Trilogy, having been responsible for its Taiwanese launch in a previous role with distributor Coni International.

“In Japan, the Trilogy brand enjoys a profile bordering on cult status. Now with the local knowledge provided by Li Jiang, we are well-positioned to leverage our presence across the wider region,” Sinclair said.