(SINGAPORE 2025.12.23) Mannings (万宁) will exit China next month, ending its presence as one of the country’s most recognisable cosmetics and personal-care retailers. The move, driven mainly by intensifying online competition, marks China’s shift toward highly diversified beauty product retailing—a trend not seen in Singapore or Hong Kong.
According to a column in 36 Kr, a Chinese tech-focused platform, Mannings’ closures reflect structural pressures rather than missteps. The brick-and-mortar model that succeeded in Hong Kong and other overseas beauty product stores proved difficult to sustain in mainland China.
On December 15, Mannings announced that all offline stores will close by January 15, with online sales via platforms such as Tmall, JD.com, and Pinduoduo ending on December 26. The company will now focus entirely on cross-border e-commerce.
Beauty retail in China has undergone a rapid reshuffle in recent years. Chains like Hong Kong’s Sa Sa International (莎莎国际) and Mingyuan Mingzhuang (名媛名妆) have steadily exited China, while survivors race to adapt: France’s Sephora has launched private-label products in the 50-yuan price segment; Hong Kong’s Watsons (屈臣氏) is doubling down on digital transformation and IP collaborations; and trend-driven multi-brand stores such as China’s The Colorist (调色师) and WOW COLOUR continue to expand, using differentiated assortments to stand out.
A multi-brand store is a retail store that carries products from several different brands rather than focusing on a single brand. Not a “brand-exclusive” store, it offers customers a variety of choices in one place.
Focusing on cosmetics specialty stores, the column FBeauty Future reported that total sales in the first three quarters reached 103 billion yuan (S$18 billion), with a year-on-year decline narrowing to 2.8%. At the same time, 46,900 multi-brand stores announced closures, highlighting the persistent challenges from a range of factors including e-commerce, declining foot traffic, and shifting product mixes. Some store owners call the current period “the coldest moment.”
A single-brand retailer, Mannings entered mainland China in 2004, opening its first store in Guangzhou. It expanded rapidly to over 200 outlets by 2012, launching online sales, standardising membership systems, experimenting with live streaming while piloting new store formats. But after 2018, closures began surfacing, signalling offline contraction. By 2025, Mannings had closed all physical stores in China, shifting fully to cross-border e-commerce.
A social media comment summed it up: “Being expensive isn’t the main problem with Mannings —it has no unmatched edge.” In a crowded market, only those with a distinct identity thrive. Mannings’ offerings are average and its in-store experience uninspiring. In addition, its weak brand story left it unable to stand out, gradually fading from consumers’ minds.
On the other hand, Watson expanded its number of stores and operations efficiently, giving it a bigger presence in the market. A larger scale often helps with brand recognition, bargaining power with suppliers, and cost efficiency. It also adapted its stores and services to Chinese consumer preferences, rather than just copying its Hong Kong model. It combined physical stores with digital platforms, creating a seamless experience where customers can shop both online and offline.
Mannings, on the contrary, had relied on a Hong Kong retail formula that did not resonate as strongly with Chinese consumers — especially in the social-media-driven, price-sensitive, rapidly evolving beauty market.
Mannings’ withdrawal illustrates broader pressures on traditional beauty retail. Zhu Hucheng, former CEO of Chinese brand Fiona (妍丽), noted: “Like nature, the business ecosystem constantly gives rise to new forces. Boutique community pharmacies, curated health brand stores, and instant online-offline retail services are emerging. They may not replicate Mannings or Watsons, but they satisfy consumers’ demands for health, convenience, and quality in a more precise and agile way.”
Online beauty retail continues to gain ground in China, now accounting for nearly half the market. Social platforms such as Douyin, Meilishuo (美丽说), and Xiaohongshu are boosting sales, with Douyin’s beauty GMV reaching tens of billions of yuan, outpacing traditional e-commerce. Cross-border platforms like Tmall Global and JD Worldwide remain key avenues for accessing overseas brands.
Offline store growth meanwhile is slowing. Brick-and-mortar retail increasingly focuses on experiential formats—skin diagnostics, hands-on trials, and AR try-ons—to engage customers.
Singapore still maintains multi-brand and multi-category formats, which remain more traditional, compared with China’s “new-style concept stores”. The hip Chinese stores prioritize memorable, shareable experiences over mass retail, blending trendy products with interactive elements and strong social media appeal. They function as a hybrid of shopping, entertainment, and community space, offering a markedly different experience from traditional counters or single-brand outlets.
