Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia: Strengthening Expansion System in 5 Markets

Step World Co., Ltd. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Gen Kazama), a company that develops and sells beauty and health-related products, is pleased to announce that it will strengthen its Asian expansion system centered on five markets: Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia, thereby accelerating the nurturing and expansion of Japanese beauty and wellness brands.

This reinforcement of the system will involve strengthening brand operations, overseas business, and digital marketing functions in key Asian markets, starting from Japan, and working to strengthen a continuous brand nurturing foundation across the five markets.

To date, our company has promoted the nurturing of our own brands, digital marketing centered on web advertising, and the development of overseas distribution channels, based on our product planning and development functions in Japan. We have already advanced sales expansion in Asian markets, including Taiwan and Hong Kong, and have accumulated expertise in adapting and deploying Japanese brands to each market through adoption records in major drugstores and distribution channels, multiple product awards*1 and recognition in Taiwan and Singapore from Watsons, Asia's largest drugstore chain, and the 'Best Exclusive Partner Award'*2 received by our Taiwanese local subsidiary (Taiwan Step World Co., Ltd.) from Watsons.

With this system reinforcement, we will further solidify our 'brand platform-type' business foundation, which comprehensively handles brand planning, product development, creative, digital marketing centered on web advertising operations, overseas sales, and local distribution support, moving beyond a mere product supply model, and promote continuous brand nurturing in the Asian market.

*1: WATSONS 2025 Health & Beauty Awards – WATSONS HWB AWARDS (Uruhime Momoko S1 Serum, Yukinoue) 'Bestseller Award', 'WATSONS Singapore HWB Awards 2025' (KAMINOWA Hair Growth Agent, Yukinoue), etc.

*2: 'WATSONS 2025 Health & Beauty Awards – WATSONS HWB AWARDS (Health & Beauty Grand Award)', awarded in the Derma Skin category.

Background to the Strengthening of the 5-Market Expansion System

In the beauty and wellness market in Asia, in addition to trust in Japanese quality, channel design, brand expression, distribution response, and digital customer acquisition tailored to each market are becoming increasingly important. At the same time, given the expanding demand for Japanese quality and the growing importance of nurturing brands from a digital perspective, there is a heightened need to evolve individually accumulated knowledge into a more reproducible growth foundation.

However, many Japanese companies, despite possessing excellent product capabilities, currently handle overseas brand nurturing and channel expansion individually, facing challenges in growth reproducibility and expansion scale.

Our company, in expanding from Japan to key Asian markets such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia, has accumulated systematized know-how by comprehensively integrating each process from brand design to advertising operations and sales sites. This system reinforcement aims to utilize this knowledge not only for accelerating the growth of existing brands but also for developing new brands and new categories.

Furthermore, we will accelerate the development of a system that supports continuous growth by expanding specialized personnel responsible for brand operations, overseas business, and digital marketing, and strengthening the organizational foundation that supports them.

Future Key Initiatives

• Strengthening sales and expansion systems connecting Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia

• Accelerating the growth of existing flagship brands

• Developing new brands and new categories

• Strengthening digital customer acquisition foundations centered on web advertising and enhancing linkage with local distribution networks

• Expanding specialized personnel responsible for brand operations, overseas business, and digital marketing, and strengthening the organizational foundation

Representative's Comment

Gen Kazama, Representative Director, Step World Co., Ltd.

"Amidst rising expectations for Japanese quality in the Asian market, we believe that what is important is not merely supplying products, but the ability to continuously nurture brands while adapting to each market. Our company has accumulated the knowledge and business foundation for this through our expansion from Japan to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. Moving forward, we aim for sustainable growth in the beauty and wellness sector and long-term enhancement of corporate value, while rooting the value of Japanese brands in each market."

About Step World Co., Ltd.

Step World Co., Ltd. is a beauty and wellness company that plans and develops Japanese beauty and health-related products, nurtures its own brands, sells them domestically and internationally, and handles overseas distribution. Through the operation of multiple brands, we deliver the value of Japanese quality products to the Asian market, while strengthening our business foundation that comprehensively supports brand development, digital marketing, and distribution.

Company Overview

Company Name	Step World Co., Ltd.
Location	Shibuya S. Noguchi Bldg. 10F, 3-28-15 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Representative	Gen Kazama, Representative Director
Business Activities	Brand/product planning and development, EC/direct sales, domestic distribution/overseas expansion
Corporate Website	https://e-duck.co.jp/

Contact for media inquiries

Step World Co., Ltd. Public Relations

sdemachi@e-duck.co.jp