Middle-aged and elderly market became the new favorite of Japanese cosmetics companies

At present, the problem of aging population in the Japanese society is serious, and the population is decreasing. The rising prospects of the people’s spending power are not optimistic. According to an official survey report, Japan’s population aged 60 or older accounts for the largest proportion of the total population.

The lifestyles of the middle-aged and elderly people aged 50 to 60 in Japan are completely different from those in China. The Japanese of this age group coincided with the high growth period of the Japanese economy when they were about 20 years old. It was they who led the Japanese consumption at that time. Especially women, they are actively pursuing fashion from a young age and actively absorbing new things, in a way that is very similar to the characteristics of current Chinese young people.

Now, these people step into the middle and old age. They are very affluent in terms of time and money. They like to travel or carry out rich leisure activities. Everyday life is rich and colorful. With age, skin problems are evident and beauty awareness is strong, especially for skin care products. The most important consumer group in the current Japanese skin care market is middle-aged and older women over 50 years old.

Currently occupying the largest market share of Japanese middle-aged and old cosmetics is Japan's Kanebo's EVITA brand series. It is reported that Kanebo has officially discussed the issue of "socializing social aging" since 1997. In September 2000, EVITA, the self-selected skin care brand for women over the age of 50, was the first to be launched. Before that, using age as a product appeal point was considered taboo for the cosmetics industry. Kanebo has taken an anti-conventional rule and has taken the lead in clearly marking the “50-year-old” on the packaging. In the dazzling cosmetics, middle-aged and old people can find products suitable for themselves, which has aroused wide resonance among target groups. It is reported that after the brand was launched, it was favored by people in its 50s, and in 2007 it became a famous brand with annual sales of more than 10 billion yen. Since 2005, Kanebo's EVITA has been the largest share of the Japanese skin care market for the elderly.

According to analysis by Ichiro Ishikawa, the manager of Kanebo’s self-choice brand, an important reason for the brand's success is to continue to conduct meticulous consumer surveys and continuously develop products that meet the needs of middle-aged and older women. She said: “The task of nurturing the next generation of women in their 50s has basically come to an end, which has ushered in the transition period of the lifestyle. Both the time and the money have begun to become more abundant and leisure life has become richer and richer. Beauty consciousness once again rose, and skin care products became basic needs. In addition, they were also very concerned about cosmetics such as sunscreen, foundation and lipstick.”

According to Chen Xiaoxin, Public Relations Department of Kanebo, the lifestyle of women in their 50s and the need for cosmetics have also changed dramatically with the longevity and aging of the population. For cosmetics companies, this age group is a fairly large consumer group, and the success of marketing strategy in this market is of great significance. The age division of consumers, EVITA's success confirms the correctness and importance of this market strategy. In the future, Kanebo will continue this advantage and build more powerful brands.