K-pop in beauty stores: Olive Young diversifies as rivals gather

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SEOUL - Beauty retail giant CJ Olive Young is tightening its grip on Korea’s cosmetics market with a fresh push that fuses Korean cultural trends and hyper-personalized beauty experiences - all while sharpening its global edge.

With more than 1,300 stores nationwide, Olive Young has long dominated the local scene - and now it is doubling down. As new challengers emerge in Korea’s booming beauty space, the company is evolving its content strategy and store experience to stay ahead of the curve.

Olive Young’s new three-story Hongdae Playground outpost, which opened on June 11, features a dedicated men’s beauty zone, AI-powered skin scan consultations and K-pop sections.

Olive Young has increasingly tapped the power of K-pop,

creating special zones in tourist hubs

like Myeong-dong and Seongsu-dong since 2024.

The retailer said it held 19 K-pop pop-up stores in 2024, with six still operating. The strategy has roots in its online success. Since launching a K-pop category on its website in 2022, 71 per cent of first-time overseas customers who purchased K-pop albums also picked up K-beauty products.

More recently, Olive Young opened its Central Gangnam Town store on July 2, with a sharp focus on in-store beauty experiences such as skin analyses, personal colour diagnostics and bespoke consultations with beauty advisors.

“The opening of this advanced store seeks to meet the beauty needs of both local and international consumers in the Gangnam area,” an official from Olive Young said, adding that the retailer will continue to launch stores tailored to each district’s characteristics and customer base.

Olive Young’s expansion sets the stage for fiercer competition, particularly with Shinsegae’s beauty brand Chicor, which recently rebranded and opened nearby with a renewed...

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