How C-beauty brands win by going hyper-local

For a long time, success in China’s beauty market followed a simple pattern set by global brands: launch a star product, hire a famous face, run a big national campaign, and scale across the country. That approach is now failing. Fast-moving, hyper-local Chinese beauty brands are changing how the market works. Instead of trying to win all of China at once, they focus on specific cities and regions, tailoring products, pricing, and messaging to local needs. While many international brands are still chasing a vague China strategy, these domestic players are building real market share city by city. A single strategy for China no longer works. The brands that win will be the ones that stop treating the country as one market and start approaching it as many smaller markets. C-beauty’s competitive advantage Chinese consumers aren’t impressed by big logos or imported prestige; they are “skintellectuals” who make decisions based on science. According to a 2025 KPMG report, 58.8% of Chinese shoppers now rank ingredients as their top purchasing factor. The old global playbook of brand halo and mass marketing no longer converts because consumers demand proof: clean formulas, verified efficacy, and real value. This power shift is fueling C-beauty’s rise. Local brands win by combining hard evidence — R&D and clinical validation — with deep relevance, addressing Chinese skin needs and using trusted botanicals. They’re moving from concept to technological advantage, setting a new standard for modern beauty: scientific, credible, and built for the consumer, not the logo. The hyper-local playbook: Winning city by city While global brands struggle to adapt their monolithic strategies, hyper-local C-beauty champions are executing a new playbook with devastating effectiveness. Their success is built on three core pillars: Scenario-based skincare: From “product-oriented” to “purpose-driven” Brands are no longer just selling standout products; they’re providing targeted solutions for specific lifestyle scenarios. Male consumers are driving this shift. As social perceptions change and awareness of male grooming rises, China’s men’s skincare market reached 17 billion RMB ($2.3 billion) in 2023 and is on track to surpass 20 billion RMB ($2.8 billion) by 2026, according to consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. International brands such as L’Oréal Men target specific needs like oil control and long-lasting makeup for oily and combination skin while integrating sports scenarios to promote durable sun protection products. For example, L’Oréal markets cushion compacts and sunscreens in paddleboarding and tennis contexts, providing functional solutions for high-temperature and perspiration-heavy environments. Domestic brands are responding even faster and with greater precision for local consumers, moving from insight to product launch within months. For instance, Make Sense (理然) offers all-in-one bare-face creams and all-scenario skincare sets to simplify men’s routines. Meanwhile, Judydoll (橘朵) has developed high-performance makeup for outdoor sports, combining water resistance, sweat resistance, sun protection, and portability. The new battlefield: Lower-tier markets Lower-tier markets have long been seen as secondary by global brands, but for domestic pioneers, they are the main battlefield. These cities and regions are home to over half of China’s population, and retail sales from counties, towns, and rural areas accounted for 38.8% of the nation’s total consumer-goods retail sales in 2024. Consumers in these markets tend to be pragmatic, value-oriented, and highly loyal to domestic brands. C-beauty brands leverage high cost-performance and local adaptability to dominate these markets. In Guangdong, brands like Guyu (谷雨), Komfymed (可复美), and Voolga (敷尔佳) focus on sensitive skincare and oil-control solutions to meet the needs of migrant workers and middle- to low-income consumers. Strategies such as sample distribution and tiered pricing help drive high repurchase rates. At the same time, brands must go beyond sales and build emotional connections. This could look like employing local KOLs and livestreamers to communicate in dialects and reflect daily life, strengthening consumer brand identification. Brands rooted in these markets achieve long-term competitive advantage through differentiation and functional strategies. Localization 2.0: Cultural resonance drives growth True localization goes far beyond language translation — it’s about cultural resonance. Domestic brands captivate young consumers by blending Eastern aesthetics with modern trends, driving market growth through cultural empowerment. For example, Maogeping (毛戈平) partnered with the Palace Museum on a luxury fragrance series in May, drawing on traditional Eastern incense culture to appeal to consumers’ appreciation for heritage and refinement. Cultural empowerment is also reflected in marketing innovation: livestreaming, short videos, and cross-brand collaborations that provide direct communication channels with consumers. Data shows that domestic brands now rank among the top performers in personal care and makeup categories, reflecting consumer trust and recognition. Through R&D capabilities, cultural storytelling, and localized operations, domestic brands have strengthened both their products and their brand power. Looking ahead, as independent R&D and cultural confidence grow, these brands are expected to continue expanding in local and international markets, achieving value in both culture and commerce. The bottom line: The future is regional The rise of the hyper-local C-beauty champion is another wake-up call for global brands. The days of easy growth in China are over. The market is more fragmented, more competitive, and more demanding than ever before. To win in this new era, brands must abandon the one-size-fits-all approach and embrace a more nuanced strategy. The future of C-beauty will not be won in the boardrooms of Paris or New York but in the livestreaming studios of Hangzhou, the shopping malls of Xi’an, and the beauty salons of Changsha. The hyper-local champions have already figured this out. The only question is whether the global giants can learn this lesson before it’s too late.

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How C-beauty brands win by going hyper-local