Shiseido carries on its global development plan with debuts in Tunisia, a first time for a Japanese cosmetics brand. Sales of the Shiseido prestige skincare brand and of makeup lines will start on February 2012 at prestige cosmetics and perfumery retail outlets.

Tunisia has been steadily achieving economic expansion and is maintaining an annual economic growth rate of 5% over the last few years,” explains the Japanese company in a release. As far as cosmetics are concerned, the Tunisian market grew by nearly 10% from 2009 to 2010 where it reached 96 million dinars (approximately 5 billion yens or 46 million euros). “Also, a sales network of locally capitalized prestige cosmetics and perfumery retail outlets is gradually being developed, thus enabling the purchase of major cosmetics brands from Europe and the United States.

The Japanese cosmetics giant will sale its products in cooperation with Ulysse Négoce, a subsidiary of the Tunis headquartered UTIC Group, a major distributor and retail sales group in Tunisia. Shiseido will initially introduce products at 10 stores in 2012 and aim to increase its presence to approximately 20 stores by 2014.

The opening of the Tunisian market - Shiseido’s third entry in Africa after Morocco in 2009 and South Africa in 2010 - is part of the group’s three-year plan to grow its international business. Shiseido’s cosmetics sales now encompass 88 countries and regions (including Japan) throughout the world.

Shiseido’s latest moves to accelerate globalization also include: the start of sales operations of the joint venture company Shiseido Kozmetik Anonim Şirketi in Turkey from January 2012, as well as the debuts of the group’s India representative office, with the objective of grasping local needs and conducting market research. Furthermore, as a means of strengthening expansion in Brazil, bareMinerals brand from Shiseido’s North American subsidiary will be launched from May 2012.