Henkel wraps up acquisition of Shiseido’s Professional hair biz in MY

German multinational chemical and consumer goods company Henkel has completed its acquisition of the Shiseido Professional hair business in Malaysia. The brand includes hair care brands such as Sublimic and Primience, which fall under the licensed Shishido Professional brand.

The acquisition closed in Malaysia and Taiwan on 1 January, 2023, and is the final step in the acquisition process of Shishido by Henkel in the Asia Pacific region. This comes shortly after Henkel closed its Shiseido acquisitions in China, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Thailand on 1 July, 2022.

The acquisition propels Henkel into becoming the leading player in the hair professional business in the Asia-Pacific region with a significantly stronger market position in Japan and China. Henkel also has established a presence in South Korea and carved out a leading position for itself in Thailand with this deal.

With Asia-Pacific as its base for growth and innovation, a J-Beauty innovation hub will be set up in Tokyo to focus on product development and ingredient formulation for consumers in the region.

“The addition of the Shiseido Professional brand and product range to our portfolio reinforces our position as a premium hair powerhouse in Malaysia. It is an exciting milestone to be able to offer our salon partners a unique combination of both western and Asian hair beauty solutions through our Schwarzkopf Professional and newly added Shiseido Professional brands,” said Richard Gan (pictured), the general manager for Henkel Consumer Brands in Malaysia and Singapore. 

The professional hair business of Henkel Consumer Brands currently generates sales of over a billion euros while holding leading marketing positions in various international market segments. As one of the top three beauty companies worldwide, Henkel offers a broad portfolio of hair care, hair styling and coloration brands exclusively for hairdressers, such as Schwarzkopf Professional, Bonacure, Igora Royal and Authentic Beauty Concept.

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