Shiseido, Kanebo Cosmetics Want to Grow Chinese Networks

Beauty giants Shiseido and Kanebo want to expand their sales networks in China.

Shiseido will increase the number of stores selling its products by 800 to 2,500 total.

Kanebo is tapping upmarket drug stores, such as pharmacies instead of cosmetics shops like rival, Shiseido.

Kanebo wants to raise its representation to from 100 pharmacies to 300 this year and 1,000 by 2010.

Chinese, unlike the Japanese, believe that foundations are

bad for their skin and consequently only buy lipsticks.

Shiseido has decided to focus on educating the masses, er, their sales people at cosmetic shops so that they can in turn educate customers….believing that by eliminating misunderstandings will lift sales.

China has an estimated 300,000 beauty shops.

That's an awful lot of red lipstick.

When do you like to wear make-up?