[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] CJ Olive Young (hereinafter referred to as Olive Young) announced on the 26th that foreign customers of 189 nationalities visited Olive Young stores and made a total of 9.42 million purchases over the past year.

Considering that there are 193 full member states of the United Nations, customers from virtually all countries except for some countries with limited overseas tourism have visited Olive Young stores. This can also be interpreted to mean that K-beauty is loved by people all over the world, not just in certain countries or continents.

The number of Olive Young stores visited by foreign tourists during this period was tallied at 1,264. This is about 92% of the total stores (1,371, as of the 4th quarter of 2024). It is observed that foreigners are experiencing K-beauty all over the country, from Myeongdong, the 'number 1 shopping district in Korea', to Seogwipo-si, Jeju, where the southernmost store is located.

◆ Sales growth among European customers is evident… In the US, sun care products account for half of the top 10

Olive Young has solidified its position as a 'must-visit shopping course' for tourists visiting Korea, and last year (2024) foreign sales increased by 140% compared to the previous year. The most notable point is the growth in countries belonging to the European continent. 

During this period, sales from Italian and Spanish national customers increased by 250% and 226% respectively compared to the previous year, and France, known as a 'traditional beauty powerhouse', also increased by 184%. In addition to Europe, Mexico and Turkey, where the Korean Wave is continuing, showed increases of 400% and 340% respectively.

In the US, sun care products took up five of the top ten sales items. The analysis is that this is because the US FDA recommended the use of sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, and consumer awareness increased, leading to word-of-mouth about cost-effective Korean products. 

In fact, looking at online search trends, the search volume for related product keywords such as 'sunblock' and 'sunscreen', as well as the English expression 'sun cream' used only in Korea, has reportedly increased by about 50%p in the past five years. 

Looking at the products that foreigners are putting in their shopping carts, there is analysis that K-beauty trends such as 'Glass Skin', which refers to the transparent and clear skin tone of Koreans, are influencing their purchasing patterns. In particular, neighboring countries such as China, Japan, and Taiwan showed a tendency to purchase various skincare products that Koreans mainly use, such as 'serums', 'ampoules', and 'essences' in addition to the existing steady-selling product groups of 'mask packs' and 'toners/lotions'. 

The keyword 'Korean Skincare Routine' on social networking services (SNS) shows that the unique Korean skin care method that is spreading worldwide is being recognized as a consumer culture.

◆ Globalization of the store shopping environment, strengthening of global mall service linkage to enable continued purchase of K-beauty after returning home

This year, Olive Young plans to improve the shopping satisfaction of foreign customers through a differentiated global commercial district strategy.

First, we will proactively introduce the specialized services of 'Myeongdong Town', where more than 90% of customers are foreigners, to stores located in major tourist destinations such as Busan and Jeju. We will strengthen foreign language display at various touchpoints, including electronic labels, in-store guidance services, and payment areas. 

We actively introduce promising K-beauty brands by setting up separate display areas such as ‘K-Beauty Now’ and ‘Global Hot Issue’ for products preferred by foreign tourists, and for some duplex stores with many large purchases, we also operate a carrier storage service to improve shopping convenience.

We will also enhance the global capabilities of our store staff. We will significantly expand the target audience and foreign language subjects of our own language education program, 'GLC (Global Language Course),' which is conducted both online and offline. We will also foster 'global customer experts' who can actively suggest products that meet the needs of customers by nationality, as well as communicate smoothly with customers.

In addition, in order to ensure that interest in K-beauty continues even after returning to Korea, we plan to increase the installation of 'vending machines' that help with membership in 'Olive Young Global Mall'. Currently, it has been introduced in four stores, including 'Gwangbok Town', 'Myeongdong Station Branch', 'Myeongdong Town', and 'Samsung Town', and through this, 330,000 new members were attracted last year alone.

An Olive Young official said, “Olive Young is providing a positive shopping experience to foreigners visiting Korea, while also serving as a ‘global K-beauty gateway’ that introduces new K-beauty brands first,” adding, “We will continue to make efforts so that K-beauty can become a representative tourism content of Korea, along with K-pop and K-food.”