Since making its first foray into the U.S. retail market, OLIVE YOUNG has been building momentum at a steady pace. Following the opening of its first two U.S. stores in Pasadena and Westfield Century City in May, the retailer has seen consistent foot traffic and strong customer engagement, while also drawing growing interest from across the U.S. retail and commercial real estate industries. As demand for K-beauty continues to expand globally, OLIVE YOUNG is introducing American consumers to a different kind of beauty retail experience, centered on carefully curated products and hands-on discovery. With its first stores gaining traction, the company is now exploring opportunities to expand beyond its initial locations, with a focus on major retail destinations across California. More than a store: A hands-on beauty experience OLIVE YOUNG Pasadena welcomes an average of 1,623 visitors a day, while the Century City location sees an average of 955 daily visitors. Foot traffic has remained steady across both weekdays and weekends, reflecting continued interest in the stores beyond the initial excitement surrounding their openings. One of the most popular experiences is SKIN SCAN, a personalized service that analyzes an individual’s skin condition and helps guide product discovery based on the results. On average, the Pasadena store conducts 187 SKIN SCAN consultations a day, with another 113 taking place daily at OLIVE YOUNG Century City. The response highlights an important aspect of OLIVE YOUNG’s approach to U.S. retail: the experience is designed to go beyond browsing shelves and purchasing products. Instead, customers can explore their beauty needs, discover products through personalized recommendations and engage with K-beauty in a more interactive setting. Drawing visitors from beyond California The reach of the stores is extending well beyond their immediate neighborhoods. While many visitors come from Pasadena, Century City and surrounding neighborhoods, customer data shows that people are also traveling from farther afield, including San Francisco and the broader Bay Area, as well as Las Vegas. International visitors have also continued to stop by the stores, adding another layer to their role as destinations for discovering K-beauty. The pattern suggests that the stores are becoming more than neighborhood retail locations. For consumers already interested in K-beauty, and for those looking to explore it firsthand, a visit to OLIVE YOUNG is increasingly becoming part of the experience of being in Los Angeles. Online curiosity is translating into real-world visits The growing interest is visible online as well. On May 30, the opening day of the Pasadena store, search interest for “OLIVE YOUNG” reached its highest level ever on Google Trends. Related searches, including “OLIVE YOUNG pasadena” and “OLIVE YOUNG USA,” also saw significant increases, while searches related specifically to the Pasadena location rose by more than 300% compared with the previous month. Social media has amplified that interest. More than 2,300 pieces of user-generated content featuring the stores have been posted across TikTok and Instagram, generating more than 9.4 million cumulative views. Together, the numbers point to a growing connection between online K-beauty discovery and offline retail experiences. Consumers may first encounter a brand or product through social media, but the physical store offers an opportunity to explore that interest in person through product curation, personalized services and the broader experience of the store itself. A growing point of interest for the U.S. retail industry The attention surrounding OLIVE YOUNG is not limited to consumers. The Century City opening has also attracted interest from shopping center developers and retail real estate professionals, who have visited the store to experience the concept firsthand. OLIVE YOUNG is currently in discussions for around 11 potential new locations, including major premium shopping centers across California, with new stores in Del Amo and Irvine already in the works. As the company evaluates its next steps, the response from both consumers and the retail industry offers an early indication of how OLIVE YOUNG’s retail concept could translate across different U.S. markets. For OLIVE YOUNG USA CFO Sunghyun Shin, the response so far reflects interest from more than one side of the market. "What has been particularly encouraging is not only the strong customer response, but also the level of interest we are seeing from the broader retail ecosystem," said OLIVE YOUNG USA CFO Sunghyun Shin. "Consumers from diverse backgrounds and regions are actively seeking out Olive Young, while leading brands and retail partners increasingly recognise us as a key platform for discovering K-beauty." He added, “We believe this momentum provides a strong foundation for our continued growth in the US.” As K-beauty becomes part of the retail landscape OLIVE YOUNG’s early experience in the U.S. reflects a broader shift in the way consumers discover K-beauty. What began as an interest among beauty enthusiasts has increasingly become part of the wider retail landscape, drawing consumers into physical shopping destinations and creating new opportunities for brands to connect with them in person. For shopping centers, that interest can translate into new sources of foot traffic. For consumers, it creates opportunities to move from online discovery to hands-on exploration. And for brands, it provides a physical environment where products can be discovered alongside personalized services and a wider selection curated around specific beauty needs. That connection between digital interest and physical discovery is at the heart of OLIVE YOUNG’s U.S. retail strategy. By bringing together curation, personalization and an experience-led store environment, the company is building on the momentum of its first two locations, and laying the groundwork for its next chapter in the U.S.