Group 1: Retail Sales Data - In April, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 37,174 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.1% and a month-on-month increase of 0.24% [2][4] - From January to April, the total retail sales amounted to 161,845 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of 4.7% [2][4] - The retail sales of cosmetics in April reached 30.9 billion yuan, growing by 7.2%, which is higher than the overall retail sales growth [2][4] Group 2: Shiseido's Performance - Shiseido's net sales for Q1 2025 decreased by 8.5% to 228.24 billion yen (approximately 11.1 billion yuan), while operating profit was 7.20 billion yen (approximately 0.35 billion yuan) [6] - The decline in net sales was attributed to a deteriorating economic environment affecting consumer spending, particularly in China and the Americas [6][8] - Shiseido's restructuring efforts and cost management partially offset the profit decline from travel retail [6] Group 3: Market Strategy and Consumer Trends - Shiseido has integrated its China market and travel retail business into a unified management unit to enhance resource efficiency and market responsiveness [8] - Online channels in China showed strong performance, with double-digit growth during promotional periods, indicating a recovery in high-end product demand [8] - The company noted that Chinese consumers are increasingly focused on brand strength and efficacy in skincare products, with decreasing price sensitivity [8] Group 4: Competitor Insights - L'Oréal reported a 4.4% year-on-year increase in sales for Q1 2025, with its luxury cosmetics division growing by 7.3% [11] - Despite challenges in travel retail, L'Oréal's performance in the Chinese market was strong, with both online and offline channels performing well [11] - Estée Lauder's total revenue for Q3 2025 fell by 10% to $3.55 billion, with a significant decline in net profit, but the Chinese market showed some growth in online sales [12]