Global cosmetics company Shiseido and AS Watson, the health & beauty retailer, have collaborated to co-create an exclusive derma skincare range under the “D Program” brand.
The new Urban Damage Care range has been successfully launched in Thailand and Taiwan and will soon be launched in other Asian markets with Watsons stores.
The collaboration is in response to a 24-per-cent growth in the derma skincare category in Asia since 2014. As more women are looking for effective derma skincare products, the online search for related topics grew by 117 per cent compared to last year.
“AS Watson is the largest health and beauty retailer in the world that acts with speed, innovation and vision making them the perfect retailer to bring Urban Damage Care to the high street,” said Shiseido president and CEO Masahiko Uotani.
“With AS Watson’s extensive distribution network and customer insight of the derma cosmetics category and Shiseido’s expertise in R&D and innovation, this has enabled us to co-create a range that supports our core values of putting the customers’ needs first while ensuring that it is accessible to customers.”
The project kicked off with customer survey on a selected panel of Watsons members after Watson’s COO Malina Ngai visited Shiseido headquarters in Tokyo 18 months ago.
“Combined with Shiseido’s 40 years of sensitive skin research and product development technology, we collaborated to develop the range that we believe will be best suitable for modern Asian females to improve their skin to defend against urban pollution,” she said.
Following positive feedback from customers, “D Program” will be launched in China on 11 April.