French organic skincare brand Melvita, owned by the L’Occitane Group, is withdrawing from China’s e-commerce landscape, closing its Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote) flagship on May 11 and its Tmall store on June 10. After 11 years in the market, the brand struggled with a slow innovation cycle and growing pressure from agile domestic competitors. The exit reflects L’Occitane Group’s broader pivot toward core brands and Western markets, with its Asia-Pacific revenue share declining to roughly 29.7%. Melvita joins at least eight other international beauty brands — largely Japanese and Korean mass-market names — that have scaled back in China in 2026 as local consumers prioritize functional value over imported prestige.

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