November 28, 2011
Fashion, Cosmetics, Grooming Aren’t Markets Just for
Women Anymore
By Debbie Howard
Most marketing efforts related to fashion, cosmetics and grooming in
Japan are directed toward women, but it looks as though men are
gaining in importance as a potential target that several companies
have recognized, and with which they are realizing success.
The most recent example is the new Hankyu Men’s Tokyo store,
located in the increasingly fashionable Yurakucho district, and just
having opened Oct. 15. The store caters to males aged in their late
20s to 40s, and features nine floors of all things male. These
include expected items such as men’s accessories (shoes, belts, ties,
underwear and socks) and luggage and leather goods, as well as
newer entrants to the men’s product array, such as men’s cosmetics,
stationary and jewelry. In addition, the floors offer a clear view of
pretty much any style a man might be seeking: resort and casual
style, dress-up style, modern traditional style (business wear, casual
wear and order-made suits), "light mode" style (casual wear, business
wear, accessories and bicycles), and "smart street" style (casual wear,
hats, bags and accessories). Over 350 brands are represented, from
Alexander McQueen and Armani to Yohji Yamamoto. But perhaps
the most interesting floor from a trend-watching viewpoint is the
eighth floor, the Refresh Court, which includes a hair salon, a nail
salon, foot care and body care.
We have to look as far back as 1968 to find the first all-men’sfocused department store offering. This is when Isetan Men’s
debuted. Today, said to account for 25% of all men’s clothes sold at
Tokyo’s department stores, Isetan Men’s was renovated in 2003 and
continues to do very well.
Over the years, I can recall a boomlet among younger males for men’s
facial masks as well as a tendency for body hair removal, but the
overall movement seemed to really pick up steam with the
introduction of Leon magazine in 2001, a publication designed to
inspire and glorify men in their 40s and 50s who might wish to
redefine themselves in new ways, especially via out-of-the-norm
clothing choices. Finally, caring about one’s appearance with
abandon was out of the closet.
Hankyu Men’s in Osaka opened in early 2008 and enjoyed sales of
nearly ¥27 billion and over 8.7 million visitors in its first
year. The new Hankyu Men’s Tokyo store features over 350 brands
and anticipates ¥12 billion in sales in its first year.
Both Isetan and Hankyu offer specialist stylist services, but Isetan is
perhaps leading the game in terms of offering the widest range of
services. At Isetan, customers can get free cosmetics counseling and
shoe fitting, among other services. It also offers a "total makeover
service" in which personality, job type and position are taken into
consideration.
Other examples of growth in male-targeted marketing can be seen in
cosmetics, specifically with the market size expansion despite a
slumpish economy. In 2009 the men’s cosmetics market had
expanded by 3.5% to ¥1.077 billion, and was especially strong via
direct marketing channels. In 2010, the market expanded again by
nearly 3%, to ¥1.505 billion.
And naturally, there are Web sites jumping on the bandwagon to
support men’s efforts, including those that focus on education and
guidelines regarding skin care, and those that provide event
information for nights out on the town.
Can it be long before even more companies start to seriously consider
the relatively untapped market of Japanese males?