Aesop and The Body Shop Making China Market Moves

Just days after Chinese authorities officially dropped a requirement for most imported cosmetic products to be tested on animals before being sold in China, cruelty free beauty leaders are moving quickly to formally enter the world’s second-largest beauty market.

Brazilian beauty conglomerate, Natura & Co., parent company of both Aesop and The Body Shop, revealed as part of its announcement of fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2020 results, that both brands are readying for China market entry.

According to Natura & Co. chairman, Roberto Marques, the two brands will complete their product registration in China in the first half of 2021. Aesop is expected to be the first to open its first store in Shanghai in the fourth quarter of 2021, and The Body Shop’s first store in China is scheduled to open in 2022.

While The Body Shop was once available at duty-free shops in Chinese airports, the brand withdrew completely from the Chinese market in 2014 due to animal testing regulations. More recently, both Aesop and The Body Shop have made products available to Chinese consumers online using cross-border e-commerce platforms, allowing them to ship products from overseas rather than import them for sale domestically and risk being subject to animal testing requirements.

“Although it is too early to mention the development of the Chinese market, we are committed to entering the Chinese market with a strong momentum, especially the two brands Aesop and The Body Shop,” Marques told analysts during the earnings call.