Nars opens first Vietnam store in Ho Chi Minh City

By

Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
Jun 26, 2017

Japan's Nars cosmetics has opened its first Vietnam store, setting up shop in Ho Chi Minh City.

Securing a tenancy along the Vietnamese capital's Dong Khoi Street inside the Vincom Center mall, the Shiseido-owned Nars offers the Asian brand's complete makeup selection and collections to local customers.

Nars brand president, Barbara Calcagni told local media that the new store comes at a time when Vietnam's cosmetic market is on the rise.

“Vietnam is a potential market for growth thanks to the rapid development of the country,” said Calcagni, in a statement.

The Vietnamese beauty market saw stable growth last year, with a year-on-year increase of 4%, and is expected to thrive in the years to come, according to a recent Kantar Worldpanel report on the national cosmetics sector. About 20 million women aged 15 to 39, or 40% of the female population, are potential consumers, it said.

The mall location is also pivotal for a new brand entrant like Nars to be a part of. With more than 250 shops, Vincom Center is Ho Chi Minh's biggest shopping mall. It is split into two separate buildings, Vincom Center A and Center B, and houses the largest array of international luxury brands and retailers.

Nars has been in expansion mode since 2016 when it broke into the European market with a flagship London store opening in the summer. More recently, opened its first retail store in Malaysia earlier this month. For the debut, Shiseido Travel Retail partnered with Colours & Fragrances to open a Nars cosmetics stand-alone boutique at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

Founded in 1994 by French make-up artist and photographer Francois Nars, the European brand was snapped up by Japanese cosmetic group Shiseido in 2000.