Wella, the German hair beauty giant, exited South Korea after 44 years

Wella, the German hair beauty brand founded in 1880 and owned by Coty and KKR, exited the South Korean market in February 2025 after 44 years of operation. SPW Korea, the exclusive distributor, announced that Wella product supply would cease starting February 2025, marking the end of a brand that had been present in Korea since 1981.

The withdrawal was decided by Wella's global headquarters despite multiple requests from SPW Korea to reverse the decision. SPW Korea stated publicly that it had 'strongly requested the Wella global headquarters multiple times to withdraw this decision, but unfortunately, the decision could not be reversed.' The distributor began sourcing a Japanese hair beauty brand as a replacement.

Wella's exit was part of a broader wave of global beauty brands retreating from Korea. Rising domestic competition from K-beauty brands, changing consumer preferences, and the increasing difficulty for foreign mass-market beauty brands to maintain market share in Korea's sophisticated beauty market drove the decision. Vendors at Namdaemun reported that Wella product arrivals had stopped and remaining stock was the final shipment.

The exit came at a time when the Korean hair care market was increasingly dominated by domestic brands that understood local hair type needs and marketing preferences better than global incumbents.