Beauty MNCs see attractive sales in nation's cosmetics market

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc recently reported a 4 percent year-on-year increase in global net sales to $3.5 billion for the quarter ended Sept 30, with organic net sales up 3 percent, driven by renewed momentum in its China business.

On the Chinese mainland, net sales rose 9 percent year-on-year to $532 million, up from $490 million a year earlier. The company attributed the growth to innovation, the success of hero products, expanded consumer reach and key brand activations that fueled online sales and, to a lesser extent, brick-and-mortar performance.

"Our China business significantly outperformed prestige beauty as our retail sales increased double digits ahead of the industry, up high single digits," said Stephane de La Faverie, president and CEO of The Estee Lauder Companies, during an earnings call. "Seven of our brands grew by double digits, with Le Labo nearly tripling. We gained share in every category, as well as across both brick-and-mortar and online channels."

He added that Estee Lauder has gained share in the prestige beauty segment in five of the past six quarters. The CEO called it a performance "unparalleled among the biggest prestige beauty players".

The company also pointed to a gradual recovery in Chinese consumer sentiment. "We're seeing consumer confidence starting to rebound. It's still subdued compared to historical peaks, but moving in the right direction," de La Faverie said.

Estee Lauder said that air traffic and travel retail demand also strengthened. For example, the coastal province of Hainan's air traffic was up 14 percent and saw double-digit sales growth during the Golden Week holiday in October.

The company said its initiatives to enhance online consumer coverage across platforms such as Tmall, JD and Douyin contributed to first-quarter growth. Leading brands such as La Mer, Le Labo and Tom Ford continued to drive share gains across categories and channels.

Meanwhile, beauty group L'Oreal also reported positive growth in China for the first time in two years. Its business on the Chinese mainland posted low single-digit growth, with momentum improving quarter by quarter.

In the third quarter, growth reached mid-single digits, supported by a recovery in the Luxe division. The growth benefited from an improved selective market and a robust innovation pipeline, including Lancome Absolue Longevity, Helena Rubinstein Re-Plasty 50 and YSL. Growth remained strong in both dermatological beauty and professional products, said the company.

"There are indeed early signs of recovery in China's beauty and personal care market," said Chloe Zhu, a consultant at Euromonitor International. "From the latest retail data, particularly social retail figures in September, we can see that the cosmetics sector is showing clear signs of a rebound. This aligns with the strong third-quarter results from major international players — Estee Lauder, L'Oreal and others."

Zhu added that consumer confidence and spending power are gradually stabilizing after several years of decline. She also said the rebound is partly due to a low comparison base. "Our data show that recent growth is largely driven by online channels — where gains often come with heavier discounts and lower unit prices," she said.

According to marketing research firm Worldpanel, the professional skincare market in China is expanding rapidly. The penetration rate is growing six times faster than the overall skincare sector. Consumer demand for professional-grade products is broadening beyond facial care to include full-body care and even makeup categories. Meanwhile, Chinese consumers increasingly seek niche products that address specific and refined needs.