Representatives of Shopee and Shiseido at the signing ceremony. — VNS Photo
Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, and Shiseido Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of Shiseido Company Ltd, has announced a joint business plan to drive the growth of Japanese Beauty (J-Beauty) in Southeast Asia.
The agreement will enable Shiseido Asia Pacific to leverage Shopee's extensive user base and deep understanding of Southeast Asian online shoppers to amplify its online presence and accessibility, ultimately enabling it to capture the immense growth opportunities in the region.
Through this partnership, Shiseido also aims to reinforce its position as the leader of the fast-growing J-beauty category in Southeast Asia.
J-beauty is on the rise in Southeast Asia, with a majority share of 58.7 per cent. Much of its growth is attributed to an increase in the number of foreign tourists to Japan and exposure of popular products through social media.
J-beauty is usually associated with innovative technologies and top-notch research and development.
Pranay Mehra, vice president of digital and e-commerce, Shiseido Asia Pacific, said: “We want to be where our consumers are when they are shopping for beauty and skincare products. How we connect with them has always been a strategic priority for Shiseido in the Asia Pacific, and I am confident that we will continue to extend our e-commerce presence with Shopee as one of our primary strategic e-commerce partners. We remain committed to our customers and look forward to leveraging Shopee’s expertise to enhance our product accessibility, deepen online engagement and ultimately forge stronger connections with consumers and fellow beauty brand lovers across Southeast Asia.”
The business plan will see close collaboration between the two companies and Shiseido broadening its portfolio offerings on Shopee across all six Southeast Asian markets by 2020 with a focus on Indonesia, Thailand and Viet Nam, including in high potential non-capital cities.
The partnership will also see Shiseido’s expansion into new markets such as Taiwan.
Shiseido will utilise the Shopee Brands Suite to reach, connect and deepen engagement with current and new customers in each market.
Both brands are working closely to develop content for the newly-launched Shopee Feed, which provides an upgraded social experience for shoppers.
The partnership will also see the roll-out of localised brand campaigns that aim to promote brand storytelling.
Ian Ho, regional managing director, Shopee, said: “We always anticipate the trends and needs of our users, and we noticed that there has been a growing demand for ‘Made in Japan’ products in Southeast Asia, especially in the beauty and skincare categories.
“Partnering with Shiseido, one of the world’s most established beauty companies, will allow us to capitalise on their industry expertise and strengthen our J-beauty offerings, unlocking more choices and value for our users. We are honoured to be named as one of Shiseido’s primary strategic e-commerce partners in Southeast Asia, and I am confident that Shopee can help create business impact for them in 2020 and beyond.” — VNS