O-Lens officially entered the Japanese market in October as the first Korean brand to do so, and has been experiencing strong sales with positive responses since its launch.
According to Park Sang-jin, CEO of Star Vision Co., Ltd., which operates O-Lens, preparations for full-scale entry into Japan began in 2019 through its subsidiary, Geo Medical.
To this end, they obtained manufacturing approval after undergoing strict testing by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for three years through a local joint venture (JV). The manufacturing approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is known to be quite stringent, and many foreign companies find it difficult to pass the threshold. In contrast, O-Lens acquired approval in a relatively short period, thereby gaining recognition for the safety and excellence of its products.
For local distribution, they selected the largest contact lens distributor in Japan as a partner and plan to expand through various channels. Initially, they entered major stores located in prime shopping districts such as the Don Quijote flagship stores in Tokyo Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Osaka Dotonbori, and Umeda. Going forward, they plan to sequentially expand to over 200 stores nationwide across Japan.
O-Lens had a significant number of Japanese customers since 2012 based on its recognition in Korea, and it was already well-known in the Japanese market, so it is expected to quickly establish its position.
Star Vision is being evaluated as having solidified its position as a genuine global company by entering the Japanese market through its subsidiary manufacturer Geo Medical, rather than outsourcing production to other manufacturers.
O-Lens currently operates 15 offline stores each in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and with its expansion into China and Japan, it continues to grow as a global top player beyond being the number one color contact lens brand in Korea.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
