Kose is the third-largest cosmetics company in Japan and the second in the premium segment, and is renowned for its prestige skincare brands including Decorte and Albion. The firm has been managed by the Kobayashi family since it was established in 1946. Albion, a fully consolidated subsidiary in which Kose holds a 79.5% stake, is operated independently by another branch of the Kobayashi family. The group, with a collection 37 brands/lines spanning a wide range of price points, has captured 13.6% of Japan’s premium beauty segment, according to Euromonitor. Japan remains the largest market contributing nearly 57% of sales, followed by Asia (28%) and North America (14%). Its distribution channels include department stores, specialty retailers, drugstores, travel retailers, and e-commerce.
