THE WHAT? L’Oréal-owned IT Cosmetics is effectively exiting China’s official online market, with its Tmall Global flagship store, the brand’s only online purchasing channel in the country, set to cease operations on September 2, 2026.
THE DETAILS The Tmall Global store has already become unsearchable and its products have been removed, leaving IT Cosmetics without an official online sales channel in China. The withdrawal follows a prolonged reduction in local brand activity, with updates to its WeChat, Weibo and Xiaohongshu accounts ending by early 2025. The retreat contrasts with IT Cosmetics’ strong position in the US prestige beauty market and comes a decade after L’Oréal acquired the brand for US$1.2 billion in 2016.
THE WHY? The closure highlights the challenges international prestige beauty brands face in translating strong positions in Western markets into sustained growth in China. IT Cosmetics built its success around dermatologist-developed makeup for problem skin and remains a leader in key US complexion categories, but its withdrawal suggests that established global credentials alone are not enough to secure relevance in China’s increasingly competitive beauty market.
Source: WEIXIN
