The Japanese group Kao continues to strengthen the presence of its cosmetics division on the European continent. The company has announced the strategic landing of Curél, its specialist brand in sensitive skin care and ceramide formulation, in the Nordic countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland.
The introduction, scheduled for this September 2026, will be supported by exclusive distribution agreements with the region's beauty retail giants, KICKS and Matas. This alliance allows the Asian firm to ensure direct and consolidated reach in one of the European markets with the greatest affinity for dermo-cosmetics and skin barrier treatments.
Consolidation of growth on the continent
The leap to the Nordic region represents a natural step in the progressive deployment plan that Kao has maintained in Europe over recent years:
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2019: Initial landing in the United Kingdom (a market where the brand's retail sales show a 24% year-on-year growth).
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2025: Official entry into Germany and France.
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May 2026: Expansion into the Netherlands market.
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September 2026: Opening of the four Nordic markets (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland).
The Global Sharp Top strategy towards 2030
This expansion is part of Kao's strategic pillar Global Sharp Top, a program designed to scale selected Japanese brands (J-Beauty) in key international markets, identifying high-demand functional niches such as dermatological health. Within this roadmap, Curél is one of the group's six priority brands. Kao's financial target set for 2030 contemplates multiplying the brand's sales by 1.6 compared to 2024 levels, projecting that foreign markets will represent approximately 50% of the brand's global turnover.