Partnership Breaks Down, Chinese Skincare Brand Broda Faces Backlash

Since February, discussions about the closure of Chinese Skincare Brand Broda’s Tmall flagship store have surfaced on social media platforms.

On February 7, Broda issued a clarification on Weibo, explaining that the closure of its Tmall store was part of an “optimization” process, and that consumers could still purchase products through JD, Pinduoduo, Douyin, WeChat mini-program, and Xiaohongshu. However, despite these platforms still running normally, some of the brand’s key products have been out of stock for a while.

On February 24, Broda released a poster on its official account titled "Broda, Relaunching," prompting lively conversations about the brand's potential comeback. Yet, just a day later, on February 25 at 10:58 PM, a mysterious all-black poster was shared on the brand’s account with the message: "Please enjoy the show with popcorn."

Founded in 2012 by Dr. Lv Shaoxiang, a PhD in polymer chemistry, Broda is known for its salicylic acid-based acne treatments. Its salicylic acid mask became a beloved product for many consumers struggling with acne, often hailed as a “pride of C-Beauty.” The brand’s patented supermolecular salicylic acid technology allows for the controlled, gentle release of active ingredients, reducing irritation. Its technology has been patented in the U.S., EU, Japan, and China.

Thanks to Dr. Lv’s scientific expertise, Broda initially gained traction through hospital channels. In 2021, despite having fully expanded its online channels, over 50% of Broda's revenue still came from its clinic sales, with the brand available in more than 3,000 hospitals and beauty salons. To this day, Broda remains a key supplier of salicylic acid products for numerous acid exfoliation treatments at beauty salons.

Between 2019 and 2021, Broda enjoyed a period of rapid growth, with sales on Tmall doubling year after year. However, as more similar brands emerged, Broda saw a decline in sales due to its higher usage thresholds, and its presence in public discussions has waned significantly.

Broda is owned by Broda Tech, with operations handled by Shanghai Ruizhi. The closure of the Tmall store and product shortages seem to be tied to a breakdown in the partnership between these two entities.

On February 25 at 5:16 AM, Ruizhi CEO Zhong Jinlu posted on Weibo, detailing the entire cooperation process with Broda, mentioning that some executives from Ruizhi were bribed by Dr. Lv to spread false accusations. She also revealed that the exclusive indefinite operating agreement between Ruizhi and Broda Tech had been unilaterally terminated, causing Ruizhi to lose the ability to operate the business properly, which led to the closure of the Tmall flagship store.

Whether this dispute between the founder and the operator can be resolved remains to be seen. However, it’s clear that this negative event, which has drawn massive attention to Broda, will significantly harm the brand’s reputation and consumer trust.