The encyclopedia · Strategy & Leadership · Strategic decision · 2006–2026
Rimmel leaves Japan after 20 years — Coty pulls the London makeup brand out
In Japan since September 2006, Rimmel's sales end within 2026 — Coty winds up the London brand 8 years after taking it over from licensee Kose.
Coty · Rimmel · Kose · 2026-05-28
What happened
Rimmel — the London makeup house — landed in Japan in September 2006 under a licence held by Kose from Coty, which imported, made and sold the brand, including Japan-tailored items like the Wonder Sweet Eyeshadow palette. Twelve years later the licence ended: on 31 October 2018 Kose stepped back to OEM supply, and from November 2018 Coty ran sales itself, later through Coty Japan LLC, set up in November 2020.
The end surfaced first at the shelf: around April 2026, stores began posting discontinuation notices on Rimmel items. Then, on 28 May 2026, the exit became official — Rimmel's Japanese sales end within 2026, about twenty years after entry. No reason was announced; customer support runs until 31 March 2027.
Two rebrandings, in 2020 and 2022, did not change the direction of travel. Coty leaves Japan with the brand's best-known items — Wonder Sweet Eyeshadow, Lasting Finish Creamy Moist Lipstick — disappearing from variety-store shelves.
Why it happened
- No reason was published — but discontinuation notices appeared in stores before any announcement; the exit was decided quietly and executed shelf by shelf.
- The switch from licensee (Kose) to Coty's own operation in 2018 did not stabilise the business; eight years of direct ownership ended in withdrawal.
- Two rebrandings in three years signalled a brand searching for a position it never found.
The lesson
Licence-built markets don't transfer cleanly: Rimmel spent 20 years in Japan — 12 under Kose's licence, 8 in Coty's own hands — and still exits within 2026, shelves emptied with no reason given.
Aftermath
Rimmel's Japanese sales end within 2026; customer inquiries are accepted until 31 March 2027. The brand continues in other markets; no successor arrangement for Japan was announced.
Sources
- Fashionsnap — "London-born Rimmel withdraws from Japan — about 20 years of domestic operations end", 28 May 2026 (entered Japan September 2006; sales end within 2026; Kose handled import/manufacture/sales under Coty licence until October 2018, then OEM supply while Coty took over sales from November 2018; discontinuation notices in stores from around April 2026; popular items include Wonder Sweet Eyeshadow; no reason stated)
- Yahoo! News Japan (Fashionsnap syndication) — "Rimmel withdraws from Japan — about 20 years of domestic operations end", May 2026 (entry 2006; Kose licence ends 31 October 2018, Coty assumes sales November 2018, Coty Japan LLC established November 2020; rebrandings in 2020 and 2022; customer inquiries accepted until 31 March 2027; products include Wonder Sweet Eyeshadow and Lasting Finish Creamy Moist Lipstick)
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