Combini cosmetics: Rom&nd to launch Lawson-exclusive brand to capture Japan’s makeup rebound

The new brand, &nd, will be available at over 13,000 Lawson stores nationwide from March 31. It will debut with nine mini-sized products – 25 SKUs in total – including lip sticks, eyeshadows, and nail polishes.

The products in this exclusive collection were designed to be easy to use and with shades that produce an effortlessly stylish look “with just one application”, ​said the brand.

This launch coincides with the relaxation of Japan’s mask-wearing mandate. On March 13, Japan authorities gave the nod to further relax mask rules.

Under the new guidelines, mask-wearing would be up to the individual, even on public transportation.

Under these new rules, Lawson was expecting the use of makeup to increase. “From March 13, wearing a mask will be left to the discretion of the individual, and it is expected that opportunities for makeup will increase.”​

Lawson has previously partnered with Shiseido’s Integrate to launch exclusive mini-sized makeup products.Overall cosmetic sales have been performing well, said Lawson, with sales increasing 190% year on year in February 2023 alone.

Lawson attributed the surge to the roll out of Muji products, including its cosmetics, across its stores.

Moving forward, Lawson and Rom&nd said it would aim to develop more products according to needs of its consumers.

Jumping on the K-wave​

Rom&nd is a K-beauty brand founded in 2016 by Korean beauty influencer Min Saerom.

The makeup brand is especially among younger millennials and Generation Z consumers, who are seeking out Korean beauty products, said Lawson.

“Korean cosmetics are gaining popularity, especially among people in their teens and 20s, as they are reasonably priced and can be expected to be effective.”​

Citing trade statistics from the Ministry of Finance, Lawson highlighted that that K-beauty imports almost doubled in from 2019 to 2022 to over JPY60bn.

This is contrasted with the decline of Japanese cosmetics, which has been falling since 2019 and has yet to recover post-pandemic.

Rom&nd has become one of the most popular makeup brands in Japan, winning three @cosme best cosmetic awards in 2022.

To capture a bigger share of the Japanese market, which has historically been dominated by domestic players in the drugstore channel, Rom&nd has launch products tailored to the Japanese consumer.

Most recently, launched a Japan exclusive cushion compact in March, which was developed with inputs from 30 Japanese beauty influencers.

Last year, the brand also released a yuzu-scented sebum control powder that contained rice extract and centella asiatica extract exclusive for the market.

Rom&nd has also collaborated with Disney Japan to launch exclusive products in the market.