Consulting · Market Entry
Confidential · Client Leadership Briefing
2026 · Prepared for Aurelia Holdings
26
Aurelia in Asia.
A phased luxury skincare market-entry strategy for Greater China, Japan, and South Korea
Two flagship cities, one digital flagship, and a 24-month phased rollout — the fastest path to $34M in Asia revenue without diluting brand equity. Confidential · For steering committee use only.
Aurelia Strategy Review
Contents
Aurelia Market-Entry Review
7 Chapters
This strategy review, in brief.
From the governing thought to the steering-committee ask — a reading map of the seven chapters
01The governing thoughtThesis
02Where the growth isDiagnosis
03Route to marketChannel Options
04The phased planRoadmap
05The positioning to defendPositioning
06What changesBefore / After
07What we need from youThe Ask
Suggested reading order: the thesis first, then the phased plan and the ask.
Aurelia Strategy Review
Chapter 01 · The Governing Thought
Euromonitor Prestige Beauty 2026
Kantar Worldpanel APAC
18.6B¥
Prestige Skincare TAM
Tier-1 China, urban Japan, and Seoul together hold an ¥18.6B prestige skincare pool, growing 14% a year. Aurelia holds 0% share today — the governing thought is simple: win two flagship cities before chasing twenty.
Source: Euromonitor Prestige Beauty 2026, Kantar Worldpanel APAC luxury tracker.
Aurelia Strategy Review
Chapter 02 · Where The Growth Is
Source: Aurelia consumer survey, n=2,400
Channel splits are directional
Three segments carry 90% of the opportunity.
Renewal seekers, skin-tech adopters, and gifting buyers — sized and channel-mapped
42%
Renewal Seekers
Age 35–54 · Derm-grade routines
Counter
38%
RED / Douyin
29%
Spa gifting
23%
31%
Skin-Tech Seekers
Age 25–34 · Ingredient-literate
RED / Douyin
52%
DTC site
34%
Sephora
14%
27%
Gifting Buyers
Age 45+ · Festival gifting
Dept. store
61%
Duty free
27%
Corporate gifting
12%
All three segments over-index on ingredient transparency and counter experience — the diagnosis: distribution, not product, is Aurelia's binding constraint.
Aurelia Strategy Review
Chapter 03 · Route To Market
Channel economics model, Year 1–3 blended
Illustrative revenue potential
Four routes in, one clear leader.
Flagship counters carry the brand story; digital carries the reach — gold marks the recommended lead channel
Flagship dept.-store countersLane Crawford / SKP / Isetan
42.0%
Tmall Luxury Pavilion + WeChatDTC digital flagship
27.5%
Sephora / Lotte multi-brandWholesale
19.8%
Livestream & KOL gifting dropsXiaohongshu / Douyin
10.7%
Flagship counters and the Tmall digital flagship together carry 70% of Year-3 revenue — the other two channels support reach and gifting occasions, not brand-building.
Aurelia Strategy Review
Chapter 04 · The Phased Plan
24-month market-entry roadmap
Gate reviews at each phase
Three cities, twenty-four months.
Beachhead, prove, scale, defend — each phase gated by a steering-committee review
P1
Beachhead: Shanghai + Tokyo
Open two flagship counters and the Tmall digital flagship; validate price and sell-through before any further build.
P2
Prove: the sell-through gate
Hold at two cities for two quarters; require 3x category-average sell-through before authorizing Seoul.
P3
Scale: add Seoul + wholesale
Add a Lotte flagship counter and Sephora wholesale doors once the beachhead clears its gate.
P4.
Defend: regional scale-up
Expand to six additional Tier-1 cities and lock exclusive counter placement ahead of competitor entry.
Each gate happens in the background of the plan: no phase begins until the prior one clears its sell-through review — protecting capital and brand equity together.
Aurelia Strategy Review
Chapter 05 · The Positioning To Defend
Brand positioning workshop
Client leadership + creative council
Aurelia is not another Western import — it is the clinical French formula,
presented the way Asia's most discerning buyers already shop: by appointment, by ingredient, by story.
Positioning Statement · Agreed With Client Leadership
Every counter script, packaging note, and KOL brief is written to protect this single line.
Aurelia Strategy Review
Chapter 06 · What Changes
Before the pivot vs. after Phase 1–3
Pro forma, Year 3
From domestic-only to a three-city footprint.
The same brand, resourced for Asia — revenue, doors, and channel mix before and after
Domestic Only · Before
$0M Asia
No Asia revenue booked
0doors
Zero flagship presence
1channel
US / EU wholesale only
Three-City Footprint · After
$34M Asia
Year-3 Asia revenue, phased
3doors
Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul flagships
4channels
Counter, DTC, wholesale, livestream
The phased plan turns zero Asia revenue into $34M by Year 3 without a single unplanned market entry.
Aurelia Strategy Review
Chapter 07 · What We Need From You
Phase 1 resourcing request
Approval unlocks Shanghai + Tokyo build
Four numbers, one steering decision.
This is the resourcing ask for Phase 1 — everything after is gated by the sell-through review
4.2M
Phase 1 Capex
Counter build-out, Shanghai + Tokyo
9
Roles To Hire
Regional GM, 2 counter directors, 6 BAs
6
Months To Open
Lease signed to counter opening
3.1x
Year-3 ROI
On Phase 1 capital, base case
Approve the Phase 1 capital and hiring plan at this week's steering meeting — construction must start within 30 days to hit the Q2 opening window.
Aurelia Strategy Review
Consulting · Market Entry
Steering Committee Briefing
2026 · Decision Requested
Approve Phase 1.
Shanghai · Tokyo · 24-Month Roadmap
Sign off on the $4.2M Phase 1 build this week — the Q2 opening window closes in 30 days. Next step: steering committee vote, Friday.
Aurelia Strategy Review
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