Marubeni Corporation (hereinafter, “Marubeni”) and AIN HOLDINGS INC. (hereinafter, “AIN”), which operates Drug and Cosmetic Store “AINZ & TULPE” in Japan, have established a joint venture to launch overseas stores of AINZ & TULPE in Asia. The first opening will be at BUKIT JALIL TSUTAYA BOOKS in Pavilion Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in May of 2022. They also plan to open several other stores in Kuala Lumpur city within 2022.

< AINZ & TULPE First Store in Malaysia >
The store will offer quality-oriented Japanese brands’ cosmetics and makeup goods. Some Japanese brands will be sold for the first time in Malaysia.

The cosmetic market in the Asia-Pacific region stands at around 40 percent of the world market. The market of the ASEAN region, especially, is increasing significantly along with its economic development. As the market expands, consumers are becoming more interested in beauty and cosmetics, and it is expected that there will be an increase in demand for products that better match individual preferences, as well as stores that provide beauty knowledge.
In Malaysia, the spending per capita on personal care products such as cosmetics is high, and the population ratio of Millennials and Generation Z, which are target customers of AINZ & TULPE, is also high. Also, there is an affinity for digitalization among consumers which has lead to dynamic changes in consumer behavior such as increased spending triggered by social media, and the diversification of online sales methods.

Through anticipating changes in consumer behavior, AIN and Marubeni are developing a new retail business, making use of AIN’s store operations which supports beauty-care and health-care with a wide range of specialized products, and Marubeni’s experience in overseas joint ventures and knowledge of development of next generation businesses. The new business will offer an environment where Millennials and Generation Z customers can seamlessly choose products that meet their needs, through both on-line and off-line channels.
Marubeni and AIN partnership aims to expand its footprint into Asian countries with Malaysia’s opening as a stepping stone.

<Contact>
Marubeni
For Business	:	Next Generation Business Development Dept. Kazuhiro Takeuchi	(TEL : +81-3-3282-4818)
For Press	:	Corporate Communication Dept. Takeru Nonaka	(TEL : +81-3-3282-7322)
AIN
Corporate Planning Division Suni Kim			(TEL：+81-3-5333-1812)