In brief
Kao Corporation says it has introduced its Molton Brown luxury fragrance brand in Malaysia with a flagship store at the Exchange TRX Mall in Kuala Lumpur. The store, opened December 22, 2023, was developed with Valiram. Kao says the Malaysia expansion will include an e-commerce site and growth in luxury hotel amenities, creating additional ways for customers to encounter the brand. The approach draws on Molton Brown Village, an online-and-offline model previously used in Japan. Kao says it plans to enter consumer-facing businesses in Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong in 2024, followed by Indonesia and Macau. The new store includes a Fragrance Playground, which the company describes as the first such installation outside its Regent Street flagship in London.
Key takeaways
- Kao launched Molton Brown in Malaysia with a flagship store at Kuala Lumpur’s Exchange TRX Mall.
- The store opened on December 22, 2023, in partnership with Valiram.
- Kao plans to add e-commerce and expand the brand’s luxury hotel amenities business in Malaysia.
- The company says it plans consumer-facing expansion in Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong in 2024, then Indonesia and Macau.
January 16, 2024 -- Kao Corporation launched Molton Brown, its British luxury fragrance brand, in the Malaysia market. The Molton Brown flagship store opened on December 22, 2023, in partnership with Valiram, Southeast Asia’s leading luxury and lifestyle group, in the Exchange TRX Mall, an upscale shopping center located in Kuala Lumpur’s international financial district.
Molton Brown plans to expand its presence in Malaysia through various channels soon after the opening. The next steps for brand expansion will be the launch of a Molton Brown e-commerce site and the acceleration of its luxury hotel amenities business, in order to create various touch points to send customers to the store and e-commerce. This strategy aims to enhance the brand’s visibility in Malaysia based on the idea of a Molton Brown “Molton Brown Village,” an effective brand promotion concept that has already been implemented in Japan.
Kao has launched a “Global Sharp Top Strategy” to significantly expand its beauty brands beyond their current core markets, starting with SENSAI, Molton Brown, and Curél. Following the expansion into Malaysia, Molton Brown plans to move into B-to-C businesses in Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong in 2024, and then to debut in Indonesia and Macau. The brand aims to position itself for further globalization by strengthening its business in Asia.
About Molton Brown
Born in South Molton Street, London in 1971, Molton Brown is an enduring icon of uniquely British style. The brand is devoted to sustainable Made-in-England manufacturing. Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II awarded Molton Brown the Royal Warrant in recognition of the brand’s commitment to producing quality products using only selected ingredients. Kao operates a dedicated Molton Brown factory in Elsenham, a London suburb, to doubly ensure sustainability and environmentally conscious manufacturing practices*1 . The store’s design pays homage to the first Molton Brown salon, which opened more than half a century ago. The new store continues to uphold the brand’s legacy by offering shoppers a unique multi-sensory experience through a dedicated area called the “fragrance playground”. Molton Brown’s Malaysia store is the first store in the world to introduce the same Fragrance Playground with its flagship Regent Street store in London, allowing customers to fully enjoy the world of Molton Brown.
*1 Some accessories are excluded
About Molton Brown Village
Molton Brown Village is an innovative online-merge-offline (OMO) concept that aims to create multiple touchpoints with customers. Various stores around the TRX Mall and amenities at nearby luxury hotels and restaurants will create synergy to generate customer interest and direct traffic to the brand.
The same Molton Brown Village concept has recently been actualized in Japan with the opening of a store in Karuizawa, an upscale mountain resort in Nagano Prefecture The beautiful natural scenery and cultural attractions of Karuizawa make it a popular destination for tourists from both within and outside of Japan. The new Karuizawa store was opened at the Prince Shopping Plaza in the luxurious Karuizawa Prince Resort. Further OMO touchpoints have been established in the region through the provision of amenities at the Prince Villa Karuizawa and wedding favors at the Karuizawa Prince Hotel Forestana Karuizawa wedding resort.
The Molton Brown Village business model will be expanded throughout Asia to enhance the global presence of the Molton Brown brand.
Store Overview
Store name：Molton Brown The Exchange TRX Mall
Location: Persiaran TRX, Tun Razak Exchange, 55188 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 10:00-22:00
Store area: 68.2 sqm
Opening date: December 22, 2023
If you detect any issues, problems, or errors in this press release content, kindly contact [email protected] to notify us (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 8 hours.
Questions around this news
Where did Molton Brown open its first Malaysian flagship store?
The store opened on December 22, 2023, at The Exchange TRX Mall in Kuala Lumpur’s international financial district. The release describes it as the brand’s first store in Malaysia and says its design references the brand’s original London salon. It also features a dedicated area for customers to explore fragrances.
What markets does Molton Brown plan to enter after Malaysia?
The release says the brand planned to move into business-to-consumer operations in Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong during 2024, followed by debuts in Indonesia and Macau. It presents expansion across Asia as part of Kao’s broader effort to grow selected beauty brands beyond their existing core markets.
What does online-merge-offline (OMO) mean in retail?
OMO describes an approach that connects a retailer’s online and physical experiences rather than treating them as separate channels. Customers might discover a product online, visit a store to try it, and later shop through a website. Businesses use connected channels and customer touchpoints to make those experiences more coordinated.
What are luxury hotel amenities in the context of a fragrance brand?
Hotel amenities are products provided for guests’ use during a stay, such as toiletries in a bathroom. A luxury brand may supply these products to hotels as part of a commercial relationship. This can introduce guests to the brand through an everyday experience, separate from purchasing products in a store or online.
