Valentino Beauty launched in Taiwan, folded in 2 years — luxury fragrance market full

In July 2023, L'Oréal launched Valentino Beauty in Taiwan — the fragrance and cosmetics line of the Italian luxury fashion house. The brand entered with a presence in three department-store counters: Shin Kong Mitsukoshi in Taipei Nanshi, Xinyi A8, and Taichung. The collection included Valentino's fragrance line (Born in Roma, Uomo, etc.) and cosmetics. L'Oréal invested in launch marketing, counter fit-outs, and inventory for the Taiwan market.

Less than two and a half years later, in late 2025, Valentino Beauty announced it was shutting down all operations in Taiwan by December 31, 2025. The brand confirmed it was ending both online and offline sales. All three counters were closed. The company offered no detailed explanation — media reported that the brand 'could not sustain operations' (撐不下去).

The Taiwan market for luxury fragrance and beauty is among the most competitive in Asia. Japanese brands (Shiseido, SK-II, Kosé, Kanebo) and Korean brands (Amorepacific, LG Household & Health) dominate department-store beauty halls. European luxury houses (Chanel, Dior, Gucci, YSL) have decades of brand equity. Valentino entered as a latecomer — a fragrance house with limited brand recognition in Taiwan's beauty market, competing against houses that had been present for 30 to 50 years.

Valentino Beauty's exit was part of a broader pattern of international beauty brands failing to gain traction in Taiwan. In the same period, Sephora exited after 18 months, and several other brands (Vichy, FANCL, Origins, PAUL & JOE) either left or reduced their Taiwan presence. For L'Oréal, the Valentino Beauty launch was a bet that did not pay off — the brand could not justify the cost of maintaining three counters against the revenue they generated.