Market entry

Which European country should a beauty brand start in?

Brands usually ask this question first, and it is rarely the one that decides whether the launch works. Here is what genuinely differs from one European country to the next, what does not differ at all, and the sequence that wastes the least time.

The part that does not change

Cosmetics are governed in the Union by a single text, Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, which applies directly in every member state. One Responsible Person, one product information file, one safety report and one CPNP notification per product cover all 27 countries. There is no country where the paperwork is lighter, and no country where starting small lets you skip it.

VAT follows the same logic: a single OSS registration lets you declare distance sales across the Union from one country. And once your goods have entered the Union once, they move freely inside it.

This matters because it kills the most expensive version of the question. Choosing a country is a commercial decision, not a regulatory one. Nobody should spend three months picking the easiest market when there is no easiest market.

What does change, and it is only three things

• Language. Several mandatory label items must appear in the language of each country where the product is sold, and your customer service has to answer in that language, within the deadline the platform imposes. This is the real cost of a new country, and it is recurring.
• The retail landscape. Each country has its own dominant platforms, and they are not variations of one another: a pharmacy marketplace and a department store do not want the same brand, the same assortment or the same price positioning.
• Distance. Delivery time and return handling degrade with every border, unless your stock already sits inside the Union. With a European warehouse, this third factor mostly disappears, which is why it is worth settling before choosing a country rather than after.

Germany: the deepest market, and the most pharmacy-shaped

Germany is where most brands end up, and usually where they should start if the product can carry it. Two things characterise it. First, the pharmacy and parapharmacy channel is a genuine mass market there rather than a niche: online pharmacies are large, mainstream retailers, which gives a dermocosmetic or an ingredient-led product a natural home. Second, the German buyer reads the label, so an approximate translation is noticed and penalised in reviews.

The flip side: it is also the market where everyone else has already arrived, and where a vague positioning gets ignored.

France: specialist by category

France segments by positioning more than by channel. Organic and natural, beauty specialists, lifestyle retailers and generalists are distinct audiences with distinct platforms, and a brand that fits one of them clearly can get a hearing quickly. It is also the easiest market to run when your stock and your team are French, which is not a strategic argument but is a real one.

Benelux, Austria, Italy

These are the markets where a second country costs the least, because the platforms often overlap with the first. Belgium is bilingual, which means two language versions rather than one, and that surprises brands that budgeted a single translation. Austria is frequently served by the same operators as Germany, so it is usually the cheapest additional country a German-speaking catalogue can reach. Italy has its own specialists and rewards a brand that localises properly rather than shipping an English pack.

Eastern Europe: the honest read

The question comes up often, and the honest answer is that it is a good second phase, not a good first one. Competition is lighter and acquisition is cheaper, but volumes per country are smaller, logistics are longer and each market adds a language. A brand that has not yet proved it can run one country well will not find it easier there, only quieter.

The sequence that wastes the least time

1. Settle compliance first. It gates everything and it is identical everywhere, so there is nothing to gain by delaying it.
2. Put the stock inside the Union. It is what makes two-day delivery and sane returns possible, in any country.
3. Pick one country and one platform whose audience matches your positioning, rather than four platforms at once.
4. Widen on that same platform before adding a new one. A second country on an operator you already run means no new contract, no new onboarding and no new way of working.

That last point is the one brands underestimate most. The expensive step is never the next country, it is the next relationship: a new platform means a new contract, a new compliance file to submit, a new catalogue format, a new billing flow and a new support inbox. Which platforms deserve the first slot is a separate question, and we have compared them in the beauty marketplaces that matter in Europe.

Frequently asked questions

Which European country is best to sell cosmetics in?

Germany has the deepest demand and a mainstream pharmacy channel, which suits ingredient-led and dermocosmetic products. But the right first market is the one whose dominant platforms match your positioning. Since compliance is identical across the 27 countries, the choice is commercial, not regulatory.

Do I need separate approval for each country?

No. Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 applies directly in every member state: one Responsible Person, one product information file and one CPNP notification per product cover the whole Union. What changes country by country is the label language, not the file.

Can I start in one country and add others later?

Yes, and it is the usual path. Adding a country on a platform you already operate is far cheaper than adding a platform, because there is no new contract, no new onboarding and no new catalogue format. Widen on your existing operator before opening a new one.

Is Germany harder than France for a new brand?

It is more crowded and less forgiving on language quality, but also deeper. France segments more clearly by positioning, so a brand with a precise niche can be heard faster. Neither is harder in regulatory terms, since the rules are the same.

Is Eastern Europe worth it for a beauty brand?

As a second phase rather than a first. Competition is lighter and acquisition cheaper, but each country adds a language, volumes per market are smaller and logistics are longer. It rewards a brand that already runs one market well.

How many countries should I open at once?

One, with one platform, until the listings, the pricing and the customer service hold. Opening four at once multiplies the languages, the return flows and the deadlines before you know which of them actually sells.