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Posted by Global Cosmetics News | Feb 16, 2026 | Asia & Australasia, Finance, Retail |
THE WHAT? Japanese cosmetics retailer istyle has opened its first overseas flagship store, @cosme Hong Kong, in Tsim Sha Tsui, marking a major step in its international expansion strategy.
THE DETAILS The 1,300-square-metre, three-floor store opened on December 5 in one of Hong Kong’s most expensive retail locations, previously vacated by Foot Locker. The outlet carries around 500 brands, with approximately 70% Japanese labels and the remainder split between Western and South Korean brands. Leveraging its @cosme online review platform, istyle integrates popularity rankings and consumer data into store layouts, including tower-style displays of top-rated products, while blending online-driven discovery with offline retail.
Despite launching in a challenging market environment marked by post-pandemic consumption weakness, reduced mainland Chinese “explosive buying,” and rising “northbound consumption” by Hong Kong residents, the company views the location as a long-term strategic investment. istyle intends to use the flagship as a data hub, collecting insights on sales patterns, sampling behaviour and brand performance to strengthen its marketing solutions business, which posted operating profit of ¥2.8 billion (US$18.3 million) in the year ended June 2025. The store is targeting first-year sales of ¥4 billion and aims to attract both local shoppers and international tourists.
THE WHY? Beyond retail sales, the flagship serves as a high-value data collection and brand collaboration platform, reinforcing istyle’s broader strategy of fusing content, community insights and commerce to provide marketing intelligence and deepen partnerships with global beauty brands.
Source: Nikkei Asia
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