From Tokyo to Paris, K-Beauty takes hold of worldwide retail channels

The Amuse pop-up store at Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris [SHINSEGAE INTERNATIONAL]

 

From convenience stores in Japan to luxury department stores in Paris, K-beauty products are rapidly expanding their footprint in mainstream retail channels worldwide. 

 

The expansion came after the country became the world’s second-largest cosmetics exporter last year, according to the cosmetics industry on Sunday.

 

Amuse, Korea’s indie-beauty brand owned by Shinsegae International, recently opened permanent stores at Galeries Lafayette’s Champs-Élysées and Haussmann locations in Paris. Earlier this March, a pop-up at the Champs-Élysées branch reportedly drew long lines before opening and promptly sold out its products.

 

The move attracted particular attention because Galeries Lafayette — famous for its highly selective entry barrier — reportedly approached the brand first about opening the pop-up and permanent stores.

 

In Japan, K-beauty products are even making their way into convenience stores.

 

7-Eleven stores nationwide will feature a dedicated section for K-beauty products, a move led by e-commerce platform Qoo10 under eBay Japan. The expansion followed last year’s nationwide pilot, which delivered sales performance better than expected.

 

Consumers shop inside a cosmetics and drug store in Seoul. [YONHAP]

 

Local retailers are increasingly competing to bring in K-beauty brands because of their strong ability to attract shoppers. Products that have already built popularity online are now driving traffic to physical stores as well.

 

“One of the biggest tasks for K-beauty brands is expanding local retail networks so they can grow from online hits into sustainable global brands,” an industry source said.

 

K-beauty tech company APR entered 1,500 Target stores across the United States in April and plans to roll out products at 3,000 Walmart stores starting next month.The company is also pushing to begin sales at U.S. Costco stores in the third quarter of this year.

 

The retail expansion is also spreading beyond North America into Europe. Beauty of Joseon has entered 640 Sephora stores in the United States as well as 1,300 Boots stores in Britain. It also secured its sales spot in Rossmann, Poland’s largest drugstore chain.

 

Amorepacific’s Laneige and Aestura are also sold at Sephora stores in the United States and Europe, while LG H&H’s Dr. Groot entered Costco stores in North America last year.

 

Industry analysts project that cosmetics exports could surpass 20 trillion won ($13.2 billion) this year if K-beauty products gain a stronger foothold in overseas offline markets.

 

Korea’s cosmetics exports hit a record $11.4 billion last year, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. That pushed the country ahead of the United States, which recorded $10.8 billion in exports.

 

Korea became the world’s second-largest cosmetics exporter, behind only France, with $24.3 billion in exports.

 

A person shops inside a cosmetic store in Seoul on Nov. 4, 2025. [YONHAP]

 

“The beauty markets in the U.S. and Europe are still heavily centered on offline retail,” another industry insider said. “Getting products into local retail channels has become a key factor in expanding brand awareness and boosting sales.”

 

CJ Olive Young — Korea’s major retail channel for cosmetic products — is also set to open its first U.S. store in California on Friday.

 

The expansion could, according to industry analysts, mark a turning point as K-beauty evolves from an online trend into a mainstream global category.

 

“If K-beauty [products] successfully establishes itself in local retail stores, its customer base could grow rapidly and sales could rise significantly,” said Lee Jong-woo, a business and marketing professor at Namseoul University.

 

 

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY LIM SUN-YOUNG [[email protected]]