EXCLUSIVE: Kosé, Japan’s Beauty Giant, Opens First Stand-alone Retail Store in L.A. Area
Kosé Corp., the Japanese beauty giant, is opening its first physical retail location in the Los Angeles area at The Shops at Santa Anita — the shopping mall in Arcadia, Calif.
Along with robust foot traffic, the area has an established Asian community, making it appealing to the company, said Takayuki Morimatsu, president and chief executive officer of Kosé America. And the U.S. market is a focus for Kosé, he added.
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“Our largest customers are the Asian people,” said Morimatsu. “And there’s a growing segment of Asian customers who are passionate about J-beauty brands, as well as beauty in general.…Arcadia and also the area surrounding Arcadia are highly populated with Asian people, especially Chinese people and our company is well-known among Chinese people.”
Founded in 1946 by Kozaburo Kobayashi, Kosé manufactures beauty, cosmetics and personal care products. With headquarters in Tokyo, the company has a portfolio of more than 30 brands that are sold in 68 regions and countries.
With retail partnerships and an established e-commerce business, this marks Kosé’s first stand-alone location. Found at 400 South Baldwin Avenue, the 1,230-square-foot store offers a variety of goods for all genders, from skin care to nail care. Prices range widely, from $3 to $1,000, displaying three brands already known to the U.S. market: Kosé’s high-end brand Decorté (which is also found at Nordstrom, Saks, Bloomingdale’s and Moda Operandi), Sekkisei (sold on Amazon), and Addiction Tokyo (launched in the U.S. in September 2023). In-house brands One by Kosé and Kosé Infinity are also available, along with men’s brand Magnifique and mass market skin care brand Softymo, among others new or less known in the U.S.
According to Morimatsu, with the shop, Kosé’s objective is to amplify the Japanese approach to beauty and wellness through the in-store experience, while expanding its presence. Visiting customers are able to utilize a skin diagnostic machine for a personalized beauty assessment and will be able to print customized text on products and ribbons as part of gifting.
Impossible to miss is the face of L.A. Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, Kosé’s global ambassador. Ohtani is seen in videos and images all around the store, which will also display signed memorabilia. Kosé invites friends and family to get game ready in-store with spirited makeup looks. The company will have ads running at Dodger Stadium and a presence at games to offer product sampling — all to further drive company and brand awareness.
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