L’Oréal Acquires Maybelline In Japan Investors / Shareholders - 30.03.1999

The L'Oréal Group and Kosé Corporation have reached an agreement under the terms of which Kosé, which had acquired in 1991 Maybelline for the Japanese market, will transfer the rights it holds to the brand to L'Oréal.

The Maybelline brand has been successfully distributed by Kosé in 3,000 outlets since 1992. The brand registered 1998 sales of approximately 4 billion yen (approximately FF 200 million or EUR 31 million).

As of 1 July 1999, L'OREAL will take over sales and marketing of the brand in Japan and gradually introduce innovative products recently developed and launched in the US to the Japanese market.

As a result of the acquisition, L'OREAL will have the world rights to Maybelline. Since the 1996 acquisition of the brand, which already held a strong position in mass-market make-up, Maybelline has been launched in more than 70 countries around the world. It is now the leader in its category