Henkel to acquire Shiseido’s APAC Hair Professional business

Shiseido will retain 20% share in the Japanese entity to back business growth.

Germany-based Henkel entered an agreement to acquire Shiseido’s Hair Professional business in the Asia Pacific but Shiseido will retain 20% in the legal entity in Japan to support business growth.

In a statement, Henkel said the acquisition will include leading Shiseido Professionals-endorsed brands such as Sublimic or Primience. 

“This transaction is a step-change for Henkel’s Hair Professional business. By expanding our Professional business in Asia-Pacific, we will become one of the leading players in this highly dynamic region with attractive future growth potential,” Henkel CEO Carsten Knobel said.

“This move will also further strengthen our Hair Professional business which has already shown a very strong development in the past years and will be an integral part of our future Consumer Brands business unit,” he added.

Shiseido Professional, a salon-exclusive brand offering premium products for professional hairdressers, reported around $113.4m (EU100m) sales in 2020 and employed over 500 people, according to Henkel. 

Henkel acquired US companies Sexy Hair, Alterna, and Kenra in 2014. It also acquired Nattura Laboratorios and the North American Hair Professional business of Shiseido in 2017.

Wolfgang König, executive vice president Beauty Care at Henkel, said the transaction will increase their market position in Japan and China which are the world’s second and third Hair Professional market.

$1 = EU0.88