Three beauty brands left Taiwan in the same month — mid-tier imports lost the market

Three imported beauty brands — Australian Jurlique (茱莉蔻) and Japanese freeplus (芙莉思) and AYURA — all ended Taiwan operations in December 2025. Jurlique posted a Facebook announcement on December 31 citing 'market environment changes'. freeplus set December 31 as its final operating day, with customer service attributing the exit to the brand ceasing production in Japan. AYURA was rolling through December and January, shutting counters as its Japanese parent restructured overseas strategy.

Jurlique had only switched to direct operations in Taiwan in March 2025 — a move from distributor-led to company-led retail. Nine months later it announced a full withdrawal. Its four counters at Taipei SOGO Fuxing, Taipei Breeze Centre, Taichung Chung Yo and Kaohsiung Hanshin Arena stopped restocking. E-commerce listings on momo and Shopee went dark. Pola Orbis' Q3 2025 report had flagged structural reform at Jurlique to reduce losses; the Taiwan exit appeared part of a global consolidation that also saw Jurlique withdraw from the UK.

freeplus, a Kao Group face-wash brand, relied on online channels until Japan ended production. AYURA, a Shiseido brand, exited under a global-strategy shift. The three exits followed a pattern: Taiwan's beauty market has polarised between luxury brands with global scale and drugstore brands with local pricing. Mid-tier imports, which thrived in the distributor era, are squeezed from both sides. Consumers cross-reference prices with Japan and Korea, and the local counter premium is no longer accepted. ANNA SUI, PAUL & JOE and LADURÉE left in 2017; VALENTINO BEAUTY followed in 2025.