Isetan Mirror
Number of stores: 9
First store opened: March 2012 at Shinjuku
station in Tokyo
Geographic diversity: High-traffic train stations
and shopping malls in the greater Tokyo area
Number of brands carried: About 20
Top-selling brands: RMK, Three and Addiction
for makeup; Chanel and Dior for skin care
Best-selling products: Color cosmetics at slightly lower price points, such as those by RMK and Three
Expected rate of expansion: Opening five to six stores per year in order to reach 20 to 30 stores in the near future.
Key Differentiator: The name value and buying power behind Isetan has helped make the Mirror stores successful from the start, both with brands
and customers.
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Fruit Gathering
Number of stores: 10
First store opened: October 2011 at Hankyu Men’s department store in Tokyo
Geographic diversity: Department stores, shopping malls and train stations in urban areas
Number of brands carried: 33 plus several small accessory brands
Top-selling brands: Chanel, Sabón, C.O. Bigelow, RMK
Best-selling products: Skin and body care; the hair care category is also growing very fast.
Expected rate of expansion: Aiming to reach 30 stores in the near future.
Key Differentiator: Depending on the location, Fruit Gathering stores may carry a diverse range of products including makeup, treatment, fragrances and accessories; staff assist customers to put together customized gift sets of related products from different brands.
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Cosme Kitchen
Number of stores: 25
First store opened: April 2004 at Daikanyama
station in Tokyo
Geographic diversity: High-traffic train stations, shopping malls and department stores across the country
Number of brands carried: About 80
Top-selling brands: Weleda, F Organics, Giovanni
Best-selling products: Skin- and body-care products like Weleda’s White Birch Oil and hair care
Expected rate of expansion: Opening about five to 10 stores per year in the coming years.
Key Differentiator: After a less-than-stellar start as a multibrand retailer of conventional cosmetics, Cosme Kitchen found success by focusing exclusively on
the small but growing niche of natural and organic beauty products.
In Clover
Number of stores: 1
First store opened: October 2012 at Kawasaki
station outside Tokyo
Geographic diversity: A high-traffic train station building outside of Tokyo; looking to expand in similar areas within Tokyo.
Number of brands carried: About 30
Top-selling brands: Chanel, Dior, Clinique
Best-selling products: Color cosmetics, skin care, foundation
Expected rate of expansion: No set number of stores at the moment
Key Differentiator: In addition to brand-specific displays, In Clover has created stations for popular products such as foundation and mascara, where customers can easily compare products from different brands side by side.
Million Doors
Number of stores: 1
First store opened: September 2012 at Kawasaki
station outside Tokyo
Geographic diversity: Expansion plans will focus on high-traffic areas which have a large concentration of female office workers.
Number of brands carried: About 25
Top-selling brands: Lancôme, Helena Rubenstein, Three, Addiction
Best-selling products: Skin-care products, foundation
Expected rate of expansion: Aiming for five to eight stores over the next few years.
Key Differentiator: Designed to resemble an old Parisian apartment, the store offers a “total beauty” experience, with an area modeled after a kitchen stocking body-care products, and daily items such as specialty toothbrushes, body brushes and home fragrances.
Cosmeme
Number of stores: 4
First store opened: November 2011 in a shopping mall outside Tokyo
Geographic diversity: Aeon shopping malls in suburban areas across the country
Number of brands carried: About 34
Top-selling brands: Chanel, Dior
Best-selling products: Foundation, skin care and fragrances
Expected rate of expansion: Aiming for 10 stores
by 2016.
Key Differentiator: As a subsidiary of Aeon, one of Japan’s largest retailing groups, Cosmeme is focusing solely on Aeon malls, which are popular shopping destinations for those living outside the cities. It is the only major multibrand retailer foregoing urban areas for suburban ones.