Cosme Next
Cosme Next operates the @cosme STORE retail chain (subsidiary of istyle Co., Ltd.), running flagship experiential beauty stores in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Hong Kong, plus smaller mall locations across Japan, integrated with live shopping and member loyalty programs for B2C beauty consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersAkasaka, Japan
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cosme Next does
Cosme Next — operating as @cosme STORE and legally known as istyle retail Inc. — is the physical-retail subsidiary of istyle Co., Ltd., the operator of Japan's @cosme beauty platform. The company's core business is running an experiential specialty beauty retail network anchored by three flagship stores in Japan (@cosme TOKYO in Harajuku, @cosme OSAKA in Umeda, @cosme NAGOYA in Takashimaya Gate Tower Mall), supplemented by international flagship presence in Hong Kong and a footprint of smaller mall locations in Sapporo, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Kobe, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro. The technology layer is the @cosme STORE platform, which integrates the in-store experience with the parent company's @cosme online ecosystem: a LIVE SHOPPING video-commerce channel featuring in-house beauty advisors, an ONLINE EXPERIENCE channel for remote product trial events, and a member point-card loyalty program. Sub-brand store formats (Sydney / Shidonī) include collaboration corners (Atelier Albion), and a trend-focused Tokyo Komachi (東京小町) format is operated within malls such as Lazona Kawasaki and Lalaport Toyosu. No AI/ML components, APIs, or SDK integrations are evident in the disclosed technology stack.
Cosme Next operates a B2C direct-to-consumer retail model, with revenue generated primarily through product sales of partner-brand cosmetics and skincare across the store network. Pricing is set per-product by individual brand partners and is not publicly disclosed; the company runs point-multiplier campaigns and member point accruals as part of its retention mechanics. Customers are individual Japanese beauty consumers — predominantly urban, female, and product-trial-oriented — acquired through the @cosme blog, ranked-reviews content, LINE official account, Instagram (@at_cosme_store), TikTok (@cosme_ba), YouTube (@cosme.oshiete_BA), and X (@atcosmeokaimono). The company has no enterprise/B2B customer concentration of note; instead it relies on a diversified portfolio of brand partners (NARS, KANEBO, Orbis, Benefique, Aujua, Nature Republic, Uriage, Breathco and others) to drive exclusive launches and pop-up event traffic through the flagship locations.
Recent operating activity confirms active footprint management: the Kinshicho Termina store reopened after renovation in April 2026, the Lumine Yurakucho store temporarily closed for renovation through autumn 2026, the mozo Wonder City store opened in Nagoya in December 2025, and a nationwide in-store staff hiring campaign was active as of July 2026. International operations remain limited to Hong Kong per disclosed information. The company is privately held (subsidiary status within publicly listed parent istyle Co., Ltd.), with no external funding rounds, M&A activity, regulatory actions, or leadership changes disclosed in the source data.
Cosme Next firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cosme Next
- Legal name
- istyle retail Inc.
- Website
- https://cosmenext.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Cosme Next operates the @cosme STORE retail chain (subsidiary of istyle Co., Ltd.), running flagship experiential beauty stores in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Hong Kong, plus smaller mall locations across Japan, integrated with live shopping and member loyalty programs for B2C beauty consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cosme Next industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Beauty and Cosmetics Retail
- NAICS
- Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)
- SIC
- Retail-Department Stores (5311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Luxury Beauty & Fragrance Department Stores (CRAGADAD)
Keywords
Where Cosme Next is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Akasaka
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices10 records
Markets served
Cosme Next business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Retail Product Sales: Revenue generated from direct sales of beauty and cosmetics products through physical retail stores across Japan and Hong Kong. Operates multiple store formats including flagship stores, mall locations, and department store counters.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Cosme Next product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cosme Next operates @cosme STORE, a physical beauty retail chain offering cosmetics, skincare, and beauty products from multiple brand partners across Japan and Hong Kong. The core experience centers on allowing customers to test and try products before purchase, supported by in-store beauty advisors providing personalized consultations. The retail chain is supplemented by LIVE SHOPPING video commerce and ONLINE EXPERIENCE digital events, with a membership point card loyalty program.
Product overview
@cosme STORE is a physical retail chain operated by istyle retail Inc. The offering consists of a platform of physical beauty retail stores with flagship locations (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya) supplemented by smaller format stores (Sydney, Tokyo Komachi) in shopping malls. The core experience is built around allowing customers to try and discover cosmetics before purchase, supported by in-store beauty advisors. The service integrates LIVE SHOPPING (real-time video shopping with beauty consultants) and ONLINE EXPERIENCE (virtual try-on events) alongside the physical store network. A membership point card program provides customer loyalty benefits.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 東京小町 (Tokyo Komachi): Sub-brand operated at select store locations including Lazona Kawasaki and ららぽーと豊洲
- シドニー (SYDNEY)
Products and services
- @cosme STORE Physical retail stores operated by istyle retail Inc. offering cosmetics, skincare, and beauty products from multiple brand partners. Features experiential shopping where customers can test products before purchase with support from in-store beauty advisors.
- @cosme TOKYO Flagship store located in Shibuya (Harajuku area), Tokyo. Largest format store offering the full product lineup and exclusive events including beauty advisor consultations, brand pop-up events, and product launches.
- @cosme OSAKA Flagship store located in Umeda, Osaka. Features brand popup events and exclusive product launches, hosting events for brands like KANEBO, Orbis, and Uriage.
- @cosme NAGOYA Flagship store located at Takashimaya Gate Tower Mall in Nagoya. Opened in June 2025, celebrated its 1st anniversary in June 2026 with the '1st Anniversary with Thanks!' event.
- LIVE SHOPPING (教えて！美容部員さん) Real-time video shopping service where @cosme beauty advisors provide personalized beauty consultations while customers shop. Combines live streaming with e-commerce capabilities on the @cosme platform.
- ONLINE EXPERIENCE Online experience events allowing customers to try new products virtually and participate in beauty workshops remotely, extending the in-store experience to digital channels.
- MEMBER ポイントカード (Member Point Card) Membership point program offering rewards and exclusive benefits for frequent shoppers at @cosme STORE locations, incentivizing repeat purchases across the retail chain.
Companies that use Cosme Next
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Cosme Next technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Cosme Next partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Aujua (オージュア)minorHaircare brand Aujua hosted a special event at @cosme TOKYO titled '振り返り美人展' (Reflection Beauty Exhibition), offering customers a unique hair and life reflection experience.
- Benefique (ベネフィーク)coreBenefique partnered with @cosme STORE to offer a special set of their hot cleansing gel product exclusively at the stores, creating a limited-time promotional offering.
- Uriage (アクシージア)minorEsthetic salon-born beauty brand Uriage held their first pop-up event at @cosme OSAKA, marking a new distribution channel for the brand through the @cosme retail network.
- NARScoreNARS partnered with @cosme TOKYO for a pop-up event celebrating the launch of their cleansing oil product. The event featured exclusive early access and limited-time promotional activities at the Tokyo flagship location.
- Nature Republic (ネイチャーリパブリック)minorNature Republic held a summer pop-up event at @cosme TOKYO featuring summer items and promotional gifts for customers.
- KANEBO (I HOPE.KANEBO)coreKANEBO launched a new lip product with pop-up events at both @cosme TOKYO and @cosme OSAKA locations, creating a multi-city promotional campaign for the brand launch.
- Orbis (オルビス)coreOrbis conducted an experience event 'オルビスLAB.' at @cosme OSAKA featuring their cleansing oil product. Customers could participate in trials with a chance to win products.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cosme Next competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ulta Beauty: Largest US specialty beauty retailer combining mass and prestige brands with in-store services and loyalty programs. Comparable as a dominant specialty beauty retailer with similar multi-brand curation and loyalty-card-driven repeat purchase model.
- Sephora: Global specialty beauty retailer with multi-brand model, in-store trial experience, beauty advisor services, and premium positioning. Comparable as the global benchmark for experiential beauty specialty retail, including Sephora's Japan operations.
- Isetan Mitsukoshi: Major Japanese department store operator with significant beauty floor operations and luxury positioning. Comparable as a broader retail incumbent hosting many of the same beauty brands that @cosme STORE curates, including in-store beauty counters.
- Shiseido The Store / Shiseido Beauty: Brand-operated flagship retail concept for premium Japanese beauty, offering immersive beauty experiences. Comparable as a destination beauty retail concept, though differentiated by brand-owned (versus curated multi-brand) positioning.
- Matsumoto Kiyoshi / Matsukiyo Cocokara: Japan's largest drugstore chain with extensive beauty and cosmetics offerings across value and mid-tier price points. Comparable as a competitor for Japanese beauty shoppers, differentiated by mass-market drugstore positioning and broader convenience assortment versus @cosme's curated specialty format.
- Selfridges Beauty Hall: UK luxury department store with world-renowned beauty hall featuring multi-brand curation, exclusive launches, and experiential services. Comparable as a destination beauty retail concept in a department-store setting.
Direct peers
- PLAZA: Japanese specialty retailer focused on imported cosmetics, beauty, and lifestyle products. Comparable as a curated beauty retail destination with similar in-store experience and product-discovery orientation.
- Loft: Japanese lifestyle and beauty retail chain with similar multi-brand curation, in-store trial experience, and mall-based store formats including flagships in major cities. Closest direct comparable in Japan's specialty beauty/lifestyle retail space.
- Hands (Tokyu Hands): Japanese lifestyle retailer with significant beauty and cosmetics offerings and experiential stores in major cities. Comparable as a multi-format Japanese specialty retailer with overlapping beauty shopper base.
Regional players
- Watsons Group: Asia-focused health and beauty retail chain with strong Hong Kong and Greater China presence. Comparable as a multi-format beauty retailer operating in overlapping geographies, particularly competing for Hong Kong prestige beauty shoppers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cosme Next social profiles
Digital presenceCosme Next financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cosme Next leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Cosme Next funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cosme Next M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cosme Next
What does Cosme Next do?
Cosme Next operates @cosme STORE, a physical beauty retail chain offering cosmetics, skincare, and beauty products from multiple brand partners across Japan and Hong Kong. The core experience centers on allowing customers to test and try products before purchase, supported by in-store beauty advisors providing personalized consultations. The retail chain is supplemented by LIVE SHOPPING video commerce and ONLINE EXPERIENCE digital events, with a membership point card loyalty program.
Is Cosme Next a public or private company?
Cosme Next is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Cosme Next founded?
Cosme Next was founded in 2007. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Cosme Next based?
Cosme Next is headquartered in Akasaka, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Cosme Next make money?
One revenue line is on record: retail Product Sales.
Who are Cosme Next's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Isetan Mitsukoshi, Shiseido The Store / Shiseido Beauty, Matsumoto Kiyoshi / Matsukiyo Cocokara and Selfridges Beauty Hall. Direct peers are PLAZA, Loft and Hands (Tokyu Hands). Watsons Group is listed as a regional player.
Does Cosme Next have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cosme Next.
What industry is Cosme Next in?
Cosme Next's product category is Beauty and Cosmetics Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAGADAD, Luxury Beauty & Fragrance Department Stores. Its NAICS code is 456120 and its SIC code is 5311.