HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 June 2026 – AS Watson Group has launched the AS Watson brand lab, a data-driven platform designed to create and scale brands by methodically identifying, developing, and expanding them across its global retail network. By utilizing the company’s integrated O+O (Offline plus Online) capabilities, an extensive distribution network, and insights drawn from over 180 million loyalty members, this platform transforms brand-market entry, enabling the swift creation of new propositions and efficient brand scaling across various markets.
This initiative solidifies capabilities that the Group has been fostering internally, merging data-driven demand identification with execution across over 17,000 O+O stores in Asia and Europe.
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Over the past two years, AS Watson has introduced more than 4,800 new brands and extensions within its network, highlighting the extensive range of its brand development initiatives.
From Incubation to Execution
The AS Watson brand lab departs from traditional incubator models by embedding brand development directly into AS Watson’s retail ecosystem.
Rather than incubating brands before market entry, this platform operates in the market, using real-time consumer data and shopping behaviors to inform development decisions.
Dr. Malina Ngai, Group CEO of AS Watson, remarked that this model demonstrates the company’s distinct advantages: “We don’t wait for brands to find the market – we cultivate them where demand already exists and amplify their growth within our ecosystem.”
A Systemized Growth Model
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Central to the AS Watson brand lab is a unified operational model that unlinks insights, creation, distribution, demand activation, and scaling.
The platform leverages AS Watson’s 180 million loyalty members and O+O capabilities to hasten brand selection and commercial launch.
A Structured Pathway to Scale
Brands within the AS Watson brand lab benefit from a clear growth pathway, evolving from initial validation to regional expansion and category leadership.
At each stage, brands receive customized support, including insights, distribution, marketing activation, and investment to ensure resources are focused on areas with the highest growth potential.
This phased approach allows AS Watson to carefully build and prioritize brands, improving success rates while maintaining disciplined investment allocation.
Focus on High-Growth Segments
The AS Watson brand lab will target product categories such as Asian beauty trends (K-beauty, J-beauty, C-beauty), ingredient-focused skincare, health and wellness products, and premium personal care items—segments where consumer demand is rapidly evolving.
The Group anticipates that this platform will enhance its ability to create proprietary and exclusive brands while improving speed-to-market and capital efficiency.
Proven Brand Scaling in Action
Early results demonstrate how the AS Watson brand lab translates insights into accelerated growth, shaping brand development and swiftly scaling brands through its integrated O+O ecosystem.
Across different categories and regions, the platform has enabled brands to move from focused market entry to multi-market growth efficiently and effectively:
COSRX (K-Beauty) – By combining COSRX’s innovative skincare expertise with
AS Watson’s extensive retail reach and deep consumer insights, this collaboration has accelerated international expansion and widened consumer access. This illustrates how the platform translates strong brand values into sustained category growth across markets.
&honey (J-Beauty) – By leveraging its distinctive product positioning in conjunction with
AS Watson’s regional scale, &honey rapidly expanded its footprint beyond its home market, entering multiple Asian markets in a short time. This highlights the platform’s capability to systematically elevate well-known domestic brands into regional players.
e.l.f. Cosmetics (US) – Through its collaboration with AS Watson, e.l.f. has effectively extended its community-driven, value-focused model across Europe, translating robust brand engagement into tangible market presence. This example underscores how consumer-oriented brands can be amplified through localized market execution at scale.
essence (Germany) – essence’s growth across various markets, including exclusive partnerships, demonstrates how purpose-driven brands can attain consistency and reach with the backing of integrated distribution and retail insights. This showcases the platform’s ability to foster lasting brand relevance and loyalty in diverse markets.
These examples illustrate how brands have grown using a consistent model that merges data-driven selection, integrated distribution, and coordinated market execution, demonstrating how the AS Watson brand lab functions as a replicable engine for brand growth, from market entry to regional scaling.
Scaling a Repeatable Engine
The AS Watson brand lab strengthens AS Watson’s position to leverage its retail presence not merely as a distribution channel but as a potent engine for brand development and growth.
This initiative signifies a shift from opportunistic brand sourcing to a systematic, repeatable growth model, reinforcing AS Watson’s ability to accelerate brand scaling with speed, discipline, and consistency, thereby enhancing long-term portfolio value.
AS Watson continues to collaborate with select brand partners and emerging brands aligned with its focus areas, with more information available through its official
AS Watson brand lab platform (https://www.aswatson.com/asw-brand-lab)
Hashtag: #ASWatson
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About AS Watson Group
Established in 1841, AS Watson Group is one of the world’s oldest and most recognized retail organizations, boasting a robust presence in Asia. The company currently operates over 17,000 stores across 12 retail brands in 31 markets, employing 130,000 individuals globally. This positions AS Watson Group as the leading international health and beauty retailer worldwide.
In the fiscal year 2025, AS Watson Group reported revenues exceeding US$26 billion. The company’s technology-enabled O+O (Offline plus Online) platforms cater to over 6 billion shoppers annually, seamlessly integrating physical and digital retail experiences.
AS Watson Group supports over 180 charitable and non-profit organizations each year, dedicating more than 40,000 hours of volunteer work to assist over 370,000 individuals in need across its operational markets.
Furthermore, AS Watson Group is affiliated with CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, a prestigious multinational conglomerate that operates across four primary sectors—ports and related services, retail, infrastructure, and telecommunications—in over 50 countries.
For additional information, please visit 
www.aswatson.com/our-company/o-and-o-strategy/.
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