China Animal Testing Complicates L’Oreal’s Expansion

Photographer: STR/ AFP via Getty Images

A Chinese researcher injects a monkey with an experimental solution at a laboratory in Guangzhou. China is the only major market that requires brands to test their mascaras and lotions on animals.

Bloomberg News (2013) argues that L’Oreal’s expansion into the $32 billion beauty market in China through acquisition of Magic Holdings International limited. However, this expansion into China is stifled by European Union’s rules on animal testing while China requires such trials. L’Oreal is thus faced with a dilemma of whether or not to enter the market without alienating consumers in markets where public sentiments demand humane treatment of animals. In China, firms are mandated by law to submit samples of products to be used for tests at local laboratories where an estimated 72 animals are used for each product. Market researcher Mintel says at least 4,249 beauty and personal care products were introduced in China over the past 12 months. That would translate into more than 300,000 animals used in tests over the past year, according to Bloomberg calculations based on the Mintel and PETA estimates. China’s beauty and personal care market will expand to $34.8 billion this year, Euromonitor estimates, from last year’s $32 billion.

Reference:

Bloomberg News (2013) ‘China Animal Testing Complicates L’Oreal’s Expansion’, 22 August, 

Available at:http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-21/rabbits-pay-the-price-as-l-oreal-to-p-g-expand-in-china.html (Accessed: 14 December 2013)