Origins pulled out of all Taiwan department stores after 20 years

Origins, the Estée Lauder-owned natural skincare brand founded in 1990, had been present in Taiwan department stores for over 20 years. In March 2026, the brand announced it was closing all remaining physical counters nationwide by 31 May 2026. The official e-commerce site would shut down on 24 July 2026. The brand would continue selling through third-party e-commerce platforms such as momo and LINE Gift.

The company described the move as a channel-strategy adjustment, not a market exit: 'We are saying goodbye to department-store counters, but we are not leaving your life.' Existing members had until 20 May 2026 to redeem points and birthday gifts. After the transition, Origins products remained available through authorised online retailers.

Origins' retreat from physical retail was part of a broader shift by Estée Lauder Group in the Asia-Pacific market. The group had been consolidating its retail footprint across the region, closing counters and pulling brands from markets where department-store economics no longer worked. Origins was one of several mid-tier brands in the group's portfolio — not large enough to command the margins of its prestige lines (La Mer, Estée Lauder) and too large to ignore the cost of maintaining a network of counters across Taiwan.