DHC Picks Riley Rose for U.S. Expansion for J-beauty Giant

Riley Rose stores offer an ample selection of K-beauty-inspired products. Now the company is adding a Japanese skin-care option from DHC.
Rolling out this month to the existing 12 Riley Rose doors — and four new stores by the end of August — are 12 stockkeeping units from DHC.
DHC is already well-established globally with distribution in 84,000 doors and sales closing in on $1.2 billion worldwide. The launch at Riley Rose continues DHC’s push to increase the brand’s presence in the U.S.
“Riley Rose has done an amazing job of creating this shopping experience that invites exploration, discovery and adventure. They are bringing in new niche brands and they do a great job of creating a dynamic environment,” said Monica Pluemer, vice president of marketing for DHC.
Riley Rose and other retailers have built U.S. demand for K-beauty, which she feels will cascade into products from Japan — but one won’t necessarily replace the other.
“There is definitely an appetite in the U.S. market for Japanese technology and Japanese products in both hair and makeup,”  Pluemer said. Savvy consumers, she added, view a difference between K- and J-beauty. “J-beauty focuses on time-tested products and self-care ritual. There is more of a history behind it. K-beauty is more about super extreme new trends.”
Both countries have helped generate greater skin-care sales in the U.S. According to recent NPD numbers, sales in skin soared 12 percent to $1.3 billion. Visits to Riley Rose illustrate new skin-care items are being added to the assortment to reflect that sales trend.
The DHC products selected to be on shelves at Riley Rose include: Deep Cleansing Oil, Face Wash Powder, Foaming Mesh, Cleansing Foam, Lip Cream, Mascara, Eyelash Tonic, Revitalizing Moisture Eye Stripes, Blotting Paper, Olive Virgin Oil Swabs and Silky Cotton, Virgin olive oil is a hero ingredient in the line. Pluemer said one Deep Cleansing Oil is sold every 10 seconds globally. Prices range from $2.50 up to $28. “It is an accessible price point for Japanese innovation,” Pluemer said.
DHC actually started out more than 40 years ago as a translation company. From there the company expanded into other areas, including beauty. Previously the brand was primarily sold stateside via direct-to-consumer catalogues, although an e-commerce site launched in 1998 that has been used to gather information about the U.S. market.
In its home country, DHC offers more than 2,700 cosmetics stockkeeping units, as well as thousands of apparel items, health foods, medicines and other categories. There are 454 DHC operated stores in Japan, and an additional 70,000 convenience stores that carry the product.
To complement the Riley Rose “Instagrammable” experience, DHC will reach out the bloggers, influencers and other social media avenues to stir up interest in the launch.
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