KAO Travel Retail reaffirmed its long-term commitment to travel retail at the recent TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference (11-14 May) in Singapore.
The Japanese beauty house showcased its portfolio expansion strategy, innovation pipeline and travel retail-exclusive (TREX) strategy – all central to the company’s ambition to accelerate growth across Asia Pacific.
At the Singapore show, Kao Travel Retail presented a booth designed in a sleek black and vivid white colour palette. This ‘Media Façade’, which integrated media and architecture elements, created a rich atmosphere to immerse guests in the rich universes of different KAO beauty brands.
A digital screen at the centre of the space was a focal point, while a black passageway served as a ‘gate’ to discovering KAO’s world.
KAO Travel Retail described Asia Pacific as a key growth region for the business. The company’s presence at TFWA Asia Pacific aimed to enhance brand visibility, deepen industry relationships and explore new collaboration opportunities across the region.
KAO Travel Retail Vice President Atsushi Nakazato said, “Our mission is to let each individual’s beauty and uniqueness shine by providing travellers around the world with diverse and distinctive beauty value.
“Participating in TFWA Asia Pacific is an important opportunity to further elevate KAO’s visibility in the travel retail market. We aim to strengthen the presence of our brands across the channel, while also deepening partnerships within the industry and gaining new insights that will drive our future growth.”
An immersive brand experience
At the exhibition, KAO Travel Retail spotlighted four priority brands for Asia travel retail: SENSAI, KANEBO, suisai and ALLIE.
Luxury brand SENSAI was launched in 1983 with the tagline ‘The Sense and Science of Japan’. SENSAI is an ultra-premium skincare brand with a solid position in Europe and growing momentum in Japan.
At the Singapore show, KAO Travel Retail also showcased upcoming innovations, including SENSAI Advanced Essence Day Veil SPF50/PA+++ and SENSAI Total Form Expert Cream Anti-Wrinkle and Lift, underlining the brand’s approach to luxury anti-ageing skincare.
SENSAI Advanced Essence Day Veil SPF50/PA+++ is an anti-ageing day essence that protects against UV exposure. The silky texture melts onto skin with a seamless feel without any tightness or dryness. It is recommended as the completing step of SENSAI’s Saho Double Moisturising routine.
The SENSAI Total Form Expert Cream Anti-Wrinkle and Lift is an indulgent sculpting cream infused with an anti-ageing benefit and a Plumping Veil Formula that sculpts the skin from within.
Prestige skincare and makeup brand KANEBO, rebranded in 2020, is described as a key growth driver for the company’s cosmetics division, supported by accelerating expansion across Asia.
KAO Travel Retail presented the KANEBO Generating Essentials Treatment Lotion at the show. Formulated with TAISHI Micro Lipo, the lotion empowers the skin with dewy freshness in 42 days, boosting hydration and resilience.
In the ‘Masstige’ segment, the company highlighted suisai, known for its enzyme facial-cleansing powder built on 60 years of enzyme research.
Suisai was showcased alongside ALLIE, the UV skincare brand which has been expanding across Asia.
The company also showcased a series of TREXs across its brand portfolio. These include the SENSAI Intensive Hand Cream Travel Set, KANEBO Comfort Stretchy Wash II Duo and KANEBO Cream in Day & Night II Kit.
Director Kiyoshi Hakura said: “We position our travel-exclusive items as the starting point of the brand experience journey. These products continue to resonate strongly with Asia Pacific consumers. We will continue to expand the TREX line-up and enhance the shopping experience to better meet the expectations of today’s travellers.”
Going from strength to strength in Asia Pacific travel retail
In fiscal year 2025, Kao achieved a solid +3.7% year-on-year increase in overall sales, while the Cosmetics Business delivered impressive growth of +6.9%. Within the Cosmetics Business, Kao Travel Retail played a supportive role in this performance, driven by the continued success of its strategic brands, SENSAI and KANEBO.
The company pointed to SENSAI’s strong performance across Japan, China and travel retail in Asia, where combined sales increased +102% year-on-year. KANEBO posted +15% sales growth in Japan and other Asian markets.
Looking ahead, KAO Travel Retail said its future strategy will focus on three pillars: intensive investment in brands, responding to evolving market needs and enhancing the customer experience.
Priority areas include TREX products, counter renovations, expanded tourist touchpoints and increased investment in marketing and gifting propositions. ✈
Announcing The TREX Factor The Moodie Davitt Report has launched a breakthrough crossover B2B to B2C video series focused entirely on travel retail-exclusive (TREX) products. {Click on the YouTube Icon to view TREX Travels to the Duty-Free World, the introductory video to The TREX Factor} Filmed by our acclaimed Shenzhen-based Moodie Davitt STUDIO division, the series is being shown in multi-lingual form (led by, but not limited to, Chinese and English) on the Moodie Davitt STUDIO YouTube platform and our website with tailored versions on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book/Red Note), Douyin (抖音), Instagram, LinkedIn and our dual WeChat platforms. In our worldwide premiere, resident ‘TREX Master’ Martin Moodie – the world’s leading duty-free shopping commentator and Founder of world-renowned The Moodie Davitt Report, introduces Johnnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire, aged in former French XO Cognac casks, designed to add an element of smoothness and sweetness. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire brings these elements together for an extraordinary finish. And, most importantly, it is a definitive TREX, available only in duty-free and travel retail stores.Click on the YouTube icon to view. Brands or retailers wishing to participate should contact Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com |
