How Olive Young N Seongsu Draws Global Shoppers

CJ’s Olive Young N Seongsu attracts 10,000 daily visitors in just two months since opening International tourists seen checking out their purchases at Olive Young N Seongsu CJ Olive Young’s new retail store, Olive Young N Seongsu, which opened in November 2024 in Seoul’s Seongsu district, is quickly becoming a must-visit destination for both locals and international visitors, solidifying its status as a K-beauty hotspot. According to CJ Olive Young’s internal data, Olive Young N Seongsu welcomed over 500,000 cumulative visitors between November and January. Recently, the store has been drawing nearly 10,000 visitors daily, making it the second Olive Young location to reach this milestone after the Myeongdong Town Store, long regarded as the top shopping destination for international tourists. During this period, the ratio of domestic to international visitors was nearly equal, yet international customers accounted for about 70% of total sales, significantly outspending local shoppers. This trend is largely driven by the store’s exclusive experiences, which have gone viral among global beauty enthusiasts on platforms like Instagram, RedNote and TikTok. The highest number of international visitors came from Japan, followed by China and Southeast Asia. The diversity of inbound tourists has recently grown, with increasing numbers of visitors from English-speaking regions, including the U.S., Europe and Australia. Olive Young N Seongsu’s third floor Daily Skincare area The enthusiastic response from international shoppers reflects how K-beauty has evolved beyond a trend into a global cultural phenomenon. Rather than focusing solely on popular brand-name products, many international shoppers seek insights into the skincare, beauty routines and beauty products local consumers use daily, the tools they prefer and their application techniques. Another key factor driving the store’s popularity is the rise of travel experiences like the “Live Like a Local” tourism trend, with Seongsu emerging as a must-visit destination for travelers seeking an authentic Korean beauty experience. International shoppers tend to spend most of their time on the second and third floors, where Olive Young N Seongsu offers hands-on beauty experiences tailored to different needs. Some of the most popular sections include the Skin Fit Studio, where professional diagnostic equipment provides personalized skincare and scalp care recommendations; the Makeup Studio, where shoppers can test and experiment with the latest beauty products; and the Men’s Brow Bar, which offers customized eyebrow grooming tips based on face shape. A Japanese customer receiving a skin analysis at the Skin Fit Studio Due to the high demand, these experiential services require same-day reservations, and competition for spots is intense. It’s common to see visitors lining up before the on-site booking opens at 11 a.m. each day.  Yuki Nunohiro, who traveled from Hyogo Prefecture in Osaka to visit Olive Young N Seongsu, shared, “I heard that I could get a free skin analysis, personalized skincare recommendations and makeup suggestions, so I came back for a second day.” She was especially impressed by the staff’s attention to detail, adding, “They even considered the season and weather in my hometown when recommending products, which really stood out to me.” The experiential programs also reveal differences in beauty preferences among international visitors. Customers from Europe and the Americas tend to focus more on skincare and scalp consultations, while visitors from Taiwan, Japan and China, who have a strong interest in makeup, are drawn to color consulting services. Skincare remains the most sought-after service, with international customers accounting for around 60 percent of total participants, the highest percentage among all services. A Taiwanese customer receiving a demonstration of a makeup product at the Makeup Studio One of the store’s unexpected hits has been the Men’s Brow Bar, which was initially launched to help male customers with eyebrow grooming. A CJ Olive Young beauty consultant noted, “At first, most of the customers were locals, but now it has become one of the most popular services among international visitors.” An Australian customer receiving eyebrow grooming at the Men’s Brow Bar Recognizing this trend, CJ Olive Young is committed to training and placing experts at Olive Young N Seongsu. The company prioritizes finding employees with beauty-related certifications in skincare, scalp care, makeup and fragrance, as well as those with industry experience. This approach ensures that international visitors receive personalized, one-on-one skincare routines tailored not only to their skin type but also to their home country’s climate and seasonal conditions, delivering a truly customized K-beauty experience. CJ Olive Young is expanding its in-house language training program, the Global Language Course (GLC), to further enhance beauty consultant expertise and support better communication with international shoppers. These efforts aim to elevate service quality and ensure that every customer, regardless of nationality, receives a professional and positive K-beauty experience. Meanwhile, Olive Young N Seongsu is the first innovative retail concept store that brings together 25 years of expertise since CJ Olive Young opened its first location in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam, in 1999. It is 8.6 times larger than the average Olive Young Town Store and more than four times the size of the previous largest location in Myeongdong, which spans approximately 1,158 square meters. By combining immersive experiences and personalized consultations, Olive Young N Seongsu is setting a new standard for K-beauty retail, cementing its place as a global beauty landmark for beauty enthusiasts.