Beauty business tilts from West to East

Patronage of Chinese consumers switches to South Korean and Japanese cosmetic brands from European and American labels

An increasing number of Chinese consumers of foreign cosmetic products are switching allegiance to South Korean and Japanese brands from French and US labels.

Of the global beauty and personal care products bought by Chinese consumers in the Past six months, South Korean brands accounted for 47 percent, followed by Japanese labels at 29 percent and French ones at 24 percent, according to Overseas Online Shopping, a research report by Mintel Group Ltd, an independent United Kingdom firm that tracks the global fast-moving consumer goods industry.