China’s retail market keeps growing, and more beauty brands are looking for ways to enter it. Getting in without a local partner is hard. Jumei is one of China’s established online retailers for cosmetics, connecting international brands with Chinese consumers. In this post, we walk you through what Jumei is, where it stands in 2026, and how to think about it alongside newer platforms like Xiaohongshu. We also share our experience helping brands like Clarins and Novexpert build their presence in this market.
Is Jumei still a good marketplace to sell beauty products in China?
Yes and no.
Yes: Jumei has a curated selection of top beauty brands. It verifies product authenticity before listing, which matters a lot to Chinese consumers. Authenticity is one of the top reasons shoppers choose a platform, and Jumei built its reputation around that.
No: The platform is not as dominant as it was five years ago. Tmall captured most of the market share for premium cosmetics. Social e-commerce platforms, especially Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), now drive discovery and purchase intent in the beauty category in ways Jumei never could.
For a complete picture of where the cosmetics market is heading, read our overview of the 10 Key Trends of the Chinese Cosmetics Market.
E-commerce in China
China’s e-commerce market is the largest in the world. Online retail accounts for over 30% of total retail sales in China as of 2026, a share that no other major economy comes close to matching. Most Chinese consumers use at least two or three platforms regularly, switching between them depending on the category and the occasion.
This trend is strongest among younger urban consumers who spend hours daily on their smartphones, most of that time inside social apps. The line between browsing content and making a purchase has effectively disappeared.
Cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) channels allow foreign companies to sell into China without a full domestic entity, which lowers the entry barrier significantly. That said, counterfeit products remain a real challenge. Platforms like Taobao have historically had weaker controls than Tmall or JD.com. Jumei positioned itself specifically as a solution to that problem, focusing on verified sourcing and anti-fake guarantees.
By 2026, Tmall and JD.com still dominate general cosmetics retail. But the decision to buy is increasingly made on content platforms before the consumer ever visits a shop. That changes how brands need to invest. Our Marketing Services for Beauty Brands in China cover this full funnel in detail.
About Jumei
Jumei YouPin is an online retail platform focused on cosmetics and luxury products. It was founded in March 2010 by Chen Ou and Dai Yusen, formerly known as Tuanmei.com. Jumei pioneered the “cosmetic group purchase” model in China: every day, the platform recommended a small selection of popular products at promotional prices. That format drove strong early growth.
Jumei YouPin manages its own purchasing. The platform buys only from verified channels: brand manufacturers, authorized commercial agents, and domestic and foreign licensed distributors. It employs quality inspectors in its buying department. The goal was always to give consumers confidence in what they received, and to win repeat business through that trust.
Jumei built its catalog around international luxury names, with brands like Estée Lauder and Avon among the early listings that drove its reputation with Chinese consumers looking for genuine foreign products.
Jumei invested in SK-II
Japanese cosmetics attract Chinese consumers, and Jumei moved early to capitalize on that. SK-II became one of the platform’s flagship partnerships. Chinese consumers discovered Japanese skincare through dramas, travel, and social media, and the appetite for Japanese skincare brands in China has remained strong into 2026. Skincare from Japan and Korea both benefit from a strong perception of quality and safety among Chinese shoppers.
Xiaohongshu (XHS) and UGC: where cosmetics discovery happens now
Looking for help? Our cosmetics marketing in China can support your brand’s entry into China.
