Japanese cosmetics brand RMK has launched a flagship store on Chinese e-commerce platform Tmall Global. 

The move has been described as part of RMK’s broader focus to tap the lucrative Asia-Pacific beauty market and create a stable platform for beauty brands in China. 

Shagun Sachdeva, consumer insights analyst at GlobalData, says RMK is already available in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea. 

“The calculative move to tie up with Tmall Global has been made to indulge in omnichannel retailing with an aim to increase its presence in high value Chinese market and get access to a wider customer base,” he said.

According to GlobalData, the Cosmetics and Toiletries market in China is growing at a steady pace and is almost double than that of in Japan last year.

GlobalData’s 2018 fourth-quarter consumer survey revealed that 63 per cent of Chinese consumers prefer online channels to buy beauty and grooming products.

“The strategic decision to expand seems to be driven by rising popularity and growing demand of Japanese beauty products among Asia-Pacific consumers owing to perceived safety, better quality and multi-functionality,” said Sachdeva. 

“The brand has grabbed the opportunity looking at the high intensity of J-beauty products being imported in China or bought by Chinese visitors in Japan. With the launch on Tmall Global, the company aims to target such customer base first and then include more products in its range soon.”