Sales: $1.2 billion

Comments: The company’s flagship brands are Pola and Orbis, of course. Pola accounts for 60% of the company business while Orbis represents 24% of sales. In terms of its overseas brand totals, Jurlique is 6%; while Three, Amplitude, Itrim, Fiveism X Three, Decencia and Fujimi are 10%.

According to the company, sales have increased overall with stronger online advertising and social media presence for aesthetic treatments.

For 2023, Orbis is proceeding with enhancing its presence through creation of brand differentiation, improvement of customer loyalty, and acquisition of skin care product users, with a focus on the Orbis U anti-aging skin care series for improving wrinkle and brightening skin.

Pola is working to further improve the value of its brand and build a medium- to long-term customer base by launching highly functional products mainly in the field of anti-aging and skin-brightening. In the domestic business, the company is focusing on integrating online and offline channels, acquiring and retaining new customers and improving customer life time value.

Major staff changes came in May at Australian brand Jurlique, which is part of the Pola Orbis portfolio. Loic Rethore was named director and chief executive officer of the brand, moving over from a non-executive director role. Additionally, Joe Princi was appointed chief financial officer after time in a supervisory role.

After 33 years, the H20 Plus skin care brand was shuttered when Pola Orbis made the decision to focus its energy on other beauty projects.

Sales: $1.5 billion

Pola Orbis is shaking up its beauty business well ahead of 100th anniversary in 2029. According to the company, the group has positioned the expansion of its business portfolio as “the new pillar of its strategies, while aiming to further enhance profitability by pursuing reforms of its brand portfolio in the existing cosmetics business” for Vision 2029. With that, Pola is eliminating H2O Plus Holdings Inc. Since joining the group, H2O Plus has been engaged in the manufacture and sale of cosmetics primarily in the US. However, the business environment surrounding the beauty brand has become “extremely difficult,” with sales falling short of expectations. Pola acquired H2O Plus in in 2010. At the time of the acquisition, Pola said it would expand the brand in Asia.

Going forward, H2O Plus will fulfill its obligation to supply products in accordance with agreements with its business partners, and proceed with dissolution procedures during the second half of 2023. Subsequently, the liquidation will be concluded upon the completion of the necessary procedures.

In other news, there were some personnel changes in corporate leadership for Pola Orbis this year. Koji Ogawa was appointed director at the company after the retirement of Akira Fujii. Ogawa was previously a corporate officer in charge of management planning for IT, human resources and business development as well as a director for both Orbis and Jurlique International.

In regards to product development, Pola’s Wrinkle Shot collection has expanded with Wrinkle Shot Serum N, a line extension featuring the active ingredient NEI-L1 to penetrate deep into the dermis. Also for Summer 2022, the popular brightener, White Shot, makes an appearance in the limited edition Diem Couleur Base Makeup coffret.

Sales: $1.6 billion

Sales fell 20% last year. Like other beauty companies, ecommerce sales rose significantly. The company noted that aesthetic salons are recovering by implementing thorough in-store hygiene management and infection prevention measures. Internationally, Chinese e-commerce and South Korean duty-free sales grew at a high rate. Pola’s sales on Singles’ Day in China soared more than 50%, primarily due to the popularity of the BA skin care brand.

In December, Orbis launched a skin care screening service, the AI Future Skin Simulation.

Among Pola’s relatively new brands; i.e., “brands under development,” while there were strong acquisitions of new customers on the e-commerce channel for Decencia, Amplitude, Itrim and Fiveism x Three, overall sales fell due to COVID-19.

Company executives remained upbeat about the future. The predicted that Pola will post a CAGR of 7-9% from 2021-23; while Orbis will grow 3%. Even better, Jurlique is expected to post a CAGR of 1-20% during that time and H2O Plus will soar 40-60%.

For the three months ended March 31, 2021, beauty sales rose less than 1%. In March, Orbis introduced its “cocktail graphy” personalized skin care service which uses an Internet of Things “skin mirror.” In an effort to revive the H2O Plus brand, Pola is repositioning it as a clean beauty brand and investing in e-commerce.

Last month, Pola opened its first duty-free store on Hainan Island, China. The company noted that in the first quarter of 201, Pola’s sales in China rose 120% YoY.

Sales: $1.9 billion for cosmetics.
Corporate sales: $2.0 billion

During the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2019, the group continued its efforts to achieve further improved profitability in Japan, a solid shift toward profitability from overseas operations and creation of brands for next-generation growth. The efforts were inline with the four-year medium-term management plan (from 2017 to 2020) that started in fiscal 2017. And yet, for 2019, corporate sales at Pola Orbis fell 11.5%. Beauty care sales slipped 7.1%.

The company is continuing to improve the value of the Pola brand and strengthen its business foundation through efforts to launch highly functional products focused on the field of anti-aging and skin-whitening and to strengthen development of professional human resources who embody the value of the brand. Orbis is making efforts to enhance its presence through the creation of brand differentiation in order to re-grow into a highly profitable business.

For overseas brands, the group took initiatives aimed at business growth in Australia and Asia for Jurlique and in the US, where H2O Plus originated. In Fall 2019, Jurlique launched a popular product line containing rose extracts developed in-house. H2O Plus sales fell and operating losses rose as retailers dropped the brand and shipments to hotels declined, even as H2O Plus pursued expansion in e-commerce channels through new product launches, better content and improved usability on the site.

Also noteworthy this year at the company is that Pola Chemical Industries, part of the Pola Orbis Group and Hitachi Zosen Corporation, began joint development of cosmetic containers and ingredients using an Eucommia elastomer in March 2020. The aim of the collaboration is to use plant-derived ingredients to commercialize products with low environmental impact. Eucommia Elastomer is a 100% plant-derived biopolymer extracted and refined from fruits of a deciduous tree, Tochu (Eucommia ulmoides), which produces the Tochu tea.

Sales: $2.2 billion.

During 2018, the Japanese economy continued on a very gradual recovery track, but sales slowed in the domestic cosmetics market, according to Pola Orbis. In the overseas cosmetics market, modest expansion continued with steady growth in Asia, mainly in China. Consolidated net sales grew 1.7% year on year, reflecting the strong performance of the flagship brand Pola, in addition to the brands under development—Three and Decencia.

The beauty care segment, which consists of flagship brands Pola and Orbis, overseas brands Jurlique and H2O Plus, brands under development and new brands Amplitude, Interim, and Fiveism x Three, saw sales go up 1.8% year-on-year. This segment accounted for 93% of the company’s consolidated net sales. Pola, the company’s largest brand performed especially well, with recorded net sales and operating income exceeding those of the previous year.

Orbis, on the other hand, reported a decline in sales, despite efforts to enhance its presence through the creation of brand differentiation and consistent marketing communication in order to regrow the business. It seems a new brand image and revamped products were not enough to boost sales at Orbis. The overseas brands also experienced deteriorating net sales and operating losses due to sluggish sales in the Chinese and Australian markets.

Brands under development recorded higher net sales than those of the previous year due to the strong performance of Three and Decencia. However, operating income fell below that of the previous year due to further growth investments for the new brands that were added in 2018, namely Amplitude, Itrim, and Fiveism × Three.

In January, the company received approval for a new whitening active ingredient dubbed MKS-518, which prevents spots and freckles by inhibiting melanin accumulation. Pola Orbis is already planning to incorporate the new active ingredient in its products soon.

The company did not fare well in the first quarter of 2019. Compared to the year prior, net sales in the beauty care segment were down 8.3%. These declines partly reflect the impact of China’s E-commerce Law coming into effect and a slowdown in inbound demand in the domestic market.

Sales: $2.0 billion

Sales of beauty products jumped 12% last year, driven by a 24% increase at Pola, the company’s biggest brand. The other major brands weren’t so fortunate, as sales of Orbis fell 5%, Jurlique declined 2.6% and H2O Plus fell 9.6%. The company noted that operating income surged 47% on Pola’s sales increase and cost-of-goods-sold improvement.

Taking a closer look at the brands, Pola’s number of customers and purchase price per customer both grew significantly, and the overseas business turned a profit for the first time.  Wrinkle Shot’s sales topped 940,000 units—30% more than the initial target. Pola calls it the first wrinkle-improving medicated cosmetics product in Japan.

Orbis’ sales fell due to a decline in repeat skin care product purchases, particularly among customers acquired in 2016. Jurlique struggled due to year-end weakness in Australia and in duty-free shops. Some good news, however, is that sales in China and Hong Kong recovered in the fourth quarter. Sales at H2O Plus were lower due to declining sales in Russia and North America. Sales of “brands under development” (i.e., Three, Decencia and Orlane), increased on the strength of Three and Decencia, according to the company.

For 2018, the company expects corporate sales to rise 3.5% and beauty care sales to increase 3.8%. To achieve its goal, Pola will introduce and develop “aging-care” and whitening products with high functionality that will follow Wrinkle Shot Serum. In addition, Pola will develop new store formats that focus on attracting customers and selling products, like the new Touch & Talk stations. Pola’s global strategy includes tripling the size of its store network to 90 by 2020. The goal at Orbis is more fundamental—eliminate weak sellers and improve overall quality and texture. Jurlique and H2O Plus Beauty are being restaged and Pola is determined to bring overseas operations back into the black.

For the first quarter, beauty sales rose 6.6%, driven by gains at Pola; however, Orbis and H2O Plus sales declined and Jurlique sales were flat.

In June, Pola started selling Wrinkle Shot Serum in Hong Kong and Taiwan, with plans to gradually expand to other countries and regions.

Sales: $1.86 billion

Like other Asian companies that are counting on China for growth, the Pola Orbis  management team has been a bit concerned about a slowdown in the world’s No. 2 economy. Moreover, there’s been a reduction in consumption by tourists visiting Japan. As a result, sales gains slowed to 1.7% last year, but the flagship brand Pola, along with Three and Decenia, all had strong performances. Also within the beauty care division, the launch last year of B.A. Serum Revup, a beauty essence that achieves fresh-looking skin, and Allu skin care, which is said to treat hormonal imbalance, were well-received by consumers.

In Australia and the US, Pola is attempting to expand sales of Jurlique and H2O+, where the brands were founded, respectively. But sales for both brands were impacted by conditions in Asia. For example, while Jurlique grew in its Australian home market, it continued to struggle in travel retail and Hong Kong. Moreover, sales in China declined after Jurlique moved from a retail to distributor sales format. While H2O+ generated excitement with new packaging and new products, the decision to exit China hurt sales.

For the first quarter of 2017, Pola sales rose more than 13%, as demand for Wrinkle Shot propelled domestic sales. However, Orbis sales declined in the period on weaker-than-expected demand. Internationally, Jurlique struggled in Hong Kong. Still, operating profit soared 130% due to improved profitability at Pola. By brand, Pola’s Q1 sales jumped nearly 32% and H2O Plus’ sales increased 24.6%. But Orbis’ sales fell 6.0%, Jurlique’s sales fell nearly 23% and sales of “brands under development” dropped 9.7%.

For all of 2017, the company expects corporate sales to increase 6%.

Sales: $1.6 billion

Corporate sales rose 8.4% in local currency, with beauty sales rising a bit faster (8.7%). Operating income for cosmetics surged nearly 29%. More than 90% of Pola’s revenue comes from sales of beauty products, but the company also has real estate holdings, pharmaceuticals and building maintenance.

Sales of cosmetics rose on the strength of the Pola brand, as well as continuing gains by the Three and Decencia brands. In its home market, tourists snapped up White Shot Inner Lock IX, a health and beauty food, which debuted in February. Later in the year, Pola introduced the B.A series, a line of anti-aging products developed around a “skin generation mechanism,” according to the company. Finally, in September, the company launched Orbis=U Encore, an anti-aging line of products that’s been heavily promoted on social media.

Outside Japan, sales declined in South Korea, a drop that Pola blamed on one-time accounting measures. Sales of Jurlique increased due to a solid performance in Australia that got a lift from higher purchase rates of store visitors and a rise in customer spending. In contrast, Pola described business conditions in China as “severe,” due to a department store slump. Those conditions forced H2O Plus to close underperforming stores in the country. H2O Plus took the same measure in the US, and as a result, international sales fell on the year.

With the Japanese economy attempting another comeback, Pola’s outlook for the rest of 2016 is modest. The company forecasts corporate sales will rise 2%.

But with Q1 in the books, Pola executives may want to rethink their estimates. Corporate sales rose 9% in the first quarter, led by a 9.2% increase in beauty care sales. Sales in Japan got a boost from the rollout of B.A Protector, a daytime anti-aging cream with UV protection.

Sales: $1.6 billion

The Beauty Care segment consists of the flagship brands Pola and Orbis; the overseas brands Jurlique and H2O Plus and the “brands under development”—pdc, Future Labo, Orlane, Decencia and Three.

In 2015, both the Pola and Jurlique brands are celebrating a 30th anniversary.

In the domestic market, sales of the Pola White Shot series of medicated whitening essence and health and beauty foods progressed as expected, and sales to new customers were strong.

Orbis announced its new corporate message, “Change is beautiful,” in January 2015 with the aim of further growth centered on a business platform fortified through brand rebuilding measures.

In the domestic market, the Clear series, a leading product of the brand, was renewed in March, applying the latest knowledge to acne treatment developed by Pola Chemical Industries, which won the highest award at the 28th International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC) Congress held the previous year

For its overseas brands, the group endeavored to maintain a high rate of growth and contribute to revenues and earnings, focusing on Asia as a growth driver. Jurlique continued to expand sales in the Australian markets, despite the recent slowdown in China. H20 Plus carried out measures including a reduction of sales channels in line with a change in brand strategy for the North American market and the closing of underperforming stores in China.

In fact, H20 Plus made a few headlines recently with a new CEO and a headquarters relocation. The company appointed Joy Chen as its new president and chief executive officer. She brings more than 20 years of industry experience; most recently, she served as the CEO of Yes To Inc.

The headquarters for H20 Plus is going West—from Chicago to San Francisco. The announcement is part of a series of strategic changes as H2O Plus shifts its business model from a manufacturing company to one that focuses on the marketing and sales of H2O Plus products around the world. As part of its shift in strategy, the company will be closing its Chicago manufacturing plant and headquarters over the next six to 12 months. Some key employees will be offered the opportunity to transfer to San Francisco, while a recruiting effort is underway to fill the remaining roles. Also, manufacturing of H2O Plus products will gradually be transferred to third-party companies in the United States. H2O Plus anticipates that about 50 employees will be located at its new headquarters once fully occupied. By relocating to the West Coast, H2O Plus says it will gain greater access to key business markets in Asia.

“We are incredibly excited to become a part of the San Francisco business community as we refocus our company’s brand and mission,” said Chen. “H2O Plus is poised to write the next chapter in its history as we adapt to the changing beauty and skin care marketplace.”

The San Francisco headquarters is expected to be fully operational by the Fall. The company said it will continue to have a small presence in Chicago for the foreseeable future.

Sales: $1.9 billion

Cosmetic sales rose 7% last year. The Pola brand accounts for 56% of sales, while Orbis represents 27% of sales. Pola’s sales rose 7.9% last year and Orbis’ sales increased 18.3%; and both brands contributed to improved earnings for the parent company. To keep things moving in the right direction, the company has decided to concentrate resources into skin care, to improve product supply capabilities and make operations more efficient. As a second point of its growth strategy, Pola Orbis is building its emerging brands, including Three and PDC, with the hopes of reaching a compound annual growth rate of 10% by 2016.

But the biggest improvements have come from international results. Back in 2011, overseas markets accounted for just 3% of corporate sales. But after the acquisitions of H2O Plus in July, 2011 and Jurlique in February 2012, international sales now account for 12% of revenue and have aided Pola Orbis in its mission to become a “highly profitable global company.”

In a key personnel move, last month the company appointed Yutaka Den as chief global business officer responsible for international business. Den, a Chinese national, holds a BA from Purdue University and an MBA from Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Pola Orbis, Den worked at cosmetic companies based in the US and Europe, where he held a variety of senior roles in brand management and marketing.

This Fall, Pola Orbis will relaunch the current B.A. Red as Red B.A., the entry level line within the high-end B.A. family of products. The reintroduction is enhanced with new data that explains how mental stress affects skin. After debuting in Japan in October, the line will roll out in Russia, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia in November. A launch in China will take place in September 2015.

For fiscal 2014, company executives expect sales to increase 3.5%. Things got off to a strong start, as Q1 sales rose nearly 22% in local currency. Beauty care sales rose 22%. The Pola business is making “concerted” efforts to boost customer satisfaction by developing Pola the Beauty stores, expanding direct sales operations, boosting a department store presence and improving the skill sets of Pola consultants. Orbis’ sales rose in the quarter, thanks to its renewed focus on skin care, which was enhanced by the February introduction of Orbis-U, an oil-free line. Meanwhile, outside Japan, Jurlique expanded in China and H2O Plus posted favorable results in North America, according to the company.

Sales: $1.9 billion

Sales rose 9% last year, driven by a big gain in international sales as consumers purchased Jurlique in Europe and H2O Plus products in North America. It’s all part of the company’s plan to achieve sales of ¥250 billion by 2020, with 20% of sales from international markets. Japan accounted for more than 90% of Pola’s beauty sales in 2012, while beauty accounted for more than 90% of Pola’s corporate sales last year.

To build its flagship Pola brand, the company is aggressively expanding in department stores as well as its own Pola The Beauty stores, which combine cosmetics, consulting and aesthetic treatments. At the same time, Pola is expanding its direct sales business. To boost sales of Orbis, the company is focused on internet sales and streamlining order procedures to reduce delivery times.

Earlier this year, the company established a joint venture in Hong Kong to market H2O Plus products. The JV, C2O Plus Asia Limited, was formed with Asia Development Enterprise Co., Ltd., which already had a distribution agreement with H2O Plus. Under terms of the agreement, H2O Plus will hold 51% of the JV.

Thanks to international sales gains posted by Jurlique and H2O Plus, Pola’s first quarter sales jumped nearly 6%. Jurlique and H2O Plus both benefitted from expansion in China, while the Pola brand expanded in Russia and Orbis built a wider presence in Asia.

For the year, the company expects beauty sales to increase 4.2%.

Looking forward, the firm has a three-pronged strategy that “balances investments for future growth, profitability, and efficiency, based on a solid financial footing and sufficient cash to finance business expansion.” The primary use of cash, according to the company, will continue to be for overseas investments.

“The perspective that guided our acquisition of Jurlique and H2O Plus will continue to direct us toward carefully selected targets with well-defined brand concepts and the potential to raise profitability to the level we seek to achieve in our long-term vision,” noted Pola Orbis’ leader Satoshi Suzuki, in the firm’s 2012 annual report.

In R&D, Pola netted a coveted prize among cosmetic chemists: a poster award at the 27th International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists Congress. The poster was based on work that analyzed the structure of dendrites, a cell structure linked to accumulation of melanin, the cause of uneven pigmentation. Pola’s research team applied techniques to thoroughly analyze genetic conditions in humans in the quest to discover new factors that would control the number of dendrites. They identified adrenomedullin from more than 45,000 possible candidates as a melanocyte-activating factor, as it increased the number of dendrites.

Sales: $2.0 billion

The Pola Orbis Group dates back to 1929 and beauty expertise runs deep via a mix of venerable flagship brands, recent acquisitions and new brand development. Beauty accounts for more than 90% of corporate sales.

In addition to Pola and Orbis, the group incudes H2O Plus, which it acquired in 2011, and most recently, Jurlique, which it officially added to the fold in early 2012.

Pola Orbis also has several brands “in development” including Acro Inc., which promotes Three, a prestige brand of natural skin care and makeup sold at department stores; Future Labo Inc., available via TV shopping channels; Decencia, a mail order business focused on sensitive skin; and PDC Inc., which sell cosmetics in drugstores. Plus, Pola Orbis is the exclusive distributor of Orlane in Japanese department stores via Orlane Japon Inc.

All told, Pola’s sales account for 63% of net sales, Orbis is 31% and H20 Plus and other brands represent 6%.

For its most recent fiscal year, solid sales from Pola and H20 Plus, helped net sales rise for the second consecutive year, the company said.

Pola’s net sales were $1.25 billion, up 0.8%, and operating income rose an impressive 10.3%. During the year, Pola expanded its store network with 33 new locations, bringing the total to 533. But store expansion doesn’t mean Pola Ladies aren’t out in the cold; the firm said it also increased its roster of sales women too.

One of the company’s newest products, Pola’s B.A. The Mask, garnered beauty awards from leading magazines after its October 2011 launch. Applied as a foam that does not need to rinsed off, this innovative mask pulled in sales figures 50% above the firm’s initial target.

At Orbis, sales fell 2.9% to $618.1 million, but operating income rose 5.8%.

Sales of H20 Plus rose an impressive 32.2% to $122.6 million, but it recorded an operating loss of $24.6 million.

One of the firm’s newest brands, Three, saw sales rise 50% in 2011, Pola said.