Shiseido will step up acquisitions of skincare brands to diversify its footprint beyond China following a radical restructuring of its assets during the Covid-19 crisis, its chief executive told the Financial Times.

Masahiko Uotani said in an interview that Japan’s biggest cosmetics group was preparing for a boost on the expected return of Chinese tourists to Japan by next summer. But he added that Shiseido would escalate acquisition efforts in the US and Europe, and was also ready to explore markets such as India and Africa once the pandemic was under control.

The company remains bullish that rising consumption and the growth of the middle class will continue to drive sales in China, its biggest market, where it generated 30 per cent of its revenue in the first six months of 2021.