Shiseido to Debut in Tunisia

Beginning in February 2012, Shiseido will commence sales of cosmetics products in Tunisia. The products, including its global brand Shiseido prestige skin care and makeup lines, will be sold at prestige cosmetics and perfumery retail outlets through a distributor contract with Ulysse Négoce of the UTIC Group, which is a major distributor and retail sales group in the country. The current initiative will be the first time for a Japanese cosmetics brand to enter the Tunisian market. Additionally, Tunisia will be the third country for Shiseido in terms of expansion in the African market following Morocco in 2009 and South Africa in 2010. With this initiative, Shiseido overseas cosmetics sales will encompass 88 countries and regions throughout the world.

Tunisia has been steadily achieving economic expansion and is maintaining an annual economic growth rate of 5% over the past few years. Also, with regard to the cosmetics market, 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 U.S. Moreover, the scale of the overall market has expanded to 96 million dinar (approximately ¥5 billion) in fiscal 2010, representing a year-on-year increase of nearly 10%. Therefore, based on the current situation and business environment, Shiseido has made the decision that the time is right to enter the market, and accordingly, will proceed with initiatives to establish Shiseido brand presence in Tunisia.

Through a UTIC Group company, Ulysse Négoce, which is handling the import and sales of cosmetics products, Shiseido will initially introduce products at 10 stores in 2012 and aim to increase its presence to approximately 20 stores by 2014.

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