OLIVE YOUNG Surpasses KRW 1 Trillion in International Customer Sales

press release

OLIVE YOUNG Surpasses KRW 1 Trillion in International Customer Sales

2026.08.31

11min

International sales milestone reached three months earlier than last year as tourist traffic across Korea continues to grow

CJ OLIVE YOUNG announced that cumulative purchases by international customers at its offline stores in Korea surpassed KRW 1 trillion as of August, reaching the milestone three months earlier than last year as its network of “K-beauty landmarks” across the country continues to encourage international visitors to explore destinations beyond Seoul.

From January through August, global customers made 11.01 million purchases, meaning that, based on store operating hours, an international customer made a purchase at an OLIVE YOUNG store approximately every 0.9 seconds.*

According to tax refund data from Global Tax Free (GTF), global customers shopping at OLIVE YOUNG stores came from 192 countries. As OLIVE YOUNG has become a must-visit destination for K-beauty shopping, global customers’ share of total offline store sales has also risen significantly, from just 2% in 2022 to 33% as of August this year.

The top five countries by number of purchases this year were the United States, Singapore, Japan, China and Thailand (listed in alphabetical order). Customers purchased an average of six products spanning K-beauty and K-wellness, while 35% spent more than KRW 100,000 per visit. Skincare was the most popular category, followed by makeup and hair care.

Global customer sales surge 105% in Gangwon Province, while Gyeongju, Daejeon and Jeonju also see strong growth

International customer sales at OLIVE YOUNG stores outside the Seoul metropolitan area have also grown notably. From January through August this year, global customer sales increased 47% year over year nationwide. In Gangwon Province, sales to global customers jumped 105%, while traditionally domestic tourist destinations such as Gyeongju, Daejeon and Jeonju also recorded growth well above the national average, at 88%, 80% and 62%, respectively.

The number of nationalities visiting OLIVE YOUNG stores in regional areas has also increased. In Gangwon Province, customers came from 85 countries this year, up from 76 last year, while Gyeongju saw the number rise from 88 to 100 countries. The figures point to a broader trend of international visitors expanding their travel beyond the Seoul metropolitan area.

This shift has been driven in part by OLIVE YOUNG’s expansion of large “town” stores averaging more than 660 square meters (approximately 7,100 square feet) in size, as well as specialty stores that reflect the character of their respective regions. Rather than limiting their shopping to major commercial areas in Seoul, international visitors are increasingly incorporating OLIVE YOUNG’s key stores across Korea into their travel itineraries.

Global customers are also showing a tendency to visit multiple stores during a trip rather than completing all of their shopping at a single location. In a survey conducted by OLIVE YOUNG in May among international visitors to stores in its global tourism commercial districts, respondents said they visited an average of 2.8 OLIVE YOUNG stores per person.

OLIVE YOUNG is developing its offline stores as showcases where competitive K-beauty and K-wellness brands can connect with consumers from around the world. By analyzing factors such as the number of international customers and their share of sales, OLIVE YOUNG has designated areas with high concentrations of international visitors as “OLIVE YOUNG Global Tourism Commercial Districts.” At these stores, the company prioritizes multilingual staff and provides signage in multiple languages to make shopping more convenient for international visitors. As of August, 151 OLIVE YOUNG stores nationwide were designated as Global Tourism Commercial District stores, accounting for more than 10% of all stores.

For small and emerging indie brands, being stocked at OLIVE YOUNG can help introduce their products to international customers from more than 190 countries. In the past, global customers largely made “destination purchases,” seeking out specific products that had already gained popularity through word of mouth in their home countries. More recently, however, growing interest in OLIVE YOUNG’s broader product curation has led more international visitors to discover and purchase new products during their trips. This is creating more opportunities for small and indie brands that have yet to build strong awareness overseas to connect with consumers around the world through OLIVE YOUNG.

Expanding regional stores and improving convenience for international shoppers

OLIVE YOUNG plans to continue expanding stores outside the Seoul metropolitan area, maximizing each location’s unique character and offering differentiated experiences. The goal is to establish “K-beauty landmarks” that international visitors will want to seek out as they travel beyond Seoul, while offering a distinct and varied shopping experience at each location.

In major destinations such as Busan and Jeju, OLIVE YOUNG will continue expanding large-scale renovations and locally tailored stores to meet rapidly growing tourism demand. Through these efforts, the company aims to encourage international visitors to explore more destinations across Korea, revitalize local commercial districts and bring new energy to the tourism industry outside the Seoul metropolitan area.

OLIVE YOUNG will also continue improving the shopping experience for international visitors. Its AI Shopping Assistant, introduced at select Seoul stores in June, supports voice interactions in eight languages: Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, German, Russian, Thai and Indonesian. By the end of the year, OLIVE YOUNG plans to analyze the nationality, age groups, preferences and travel purposes of global customers by commercial district and make broader improvements to store operations, enabling customers to enjoy a more personalized shopping experience.

“As Korea enters an era of 20 million international visitors, we will strengthen our role as infrastructure for the K-tourism industry by leveraging large-scale and locally distinctive stores not only in Seoul but also across the country,” said an OLIVE YOUNG representative. “In Korea, our goal is to introduce K-beauty and K-wellness to international visitors, while in the U.S., we aim to connect local consumers with these categories and help nurture emerging brands, contributing to the continued growth of the industry.”

K-derma skincare sales surge, while functional K-hair care emerges as a new trend

Skincare, a traditional strength of K-beauty, has remained a staple among international shoppers. This year, K-derma products have been particularly notable.

Sales of K-derma skincare, a category rooted in dermatological science, increased approximately 78% year over year among global customers from January through August. The growth reflects demand from international consumers looking not only to beauty tourism but also to address specific skin concerns as part of their daily skincare routines.

In response to growing global interest in functional skincare, OLIVE YOUNG has recently begun developing “Advanced Derma,” an evolved category that takes K-derma one step further. The company has developed and curated daily-use skincare products in collaboration with the product IP of six leading Korean pharmaceutical companies.

Functional K-hair care is also emerging as a new trend among international visitors. While international customers account for approximately 18% of total hair care sales, their share rises to 28% for hair tonics and ampoules, well above the category average. Scalp-soothing and hair-loss-care products from brands such as LABO-H and LILLYVE, particularly those in convenient formats such as roll-ons and brushes, have attracted strong interest.

Inner beauty products have also maintained their popularity amid the growing wellness trend. Global customer sales in the inner beauty category increased 64% year over year through August. Popular products included Olive Lemon Shot, slimming jellies, pumpkin tea and collagen products. Olive Better, the wellness curation platform launched this year, has also emerged as a popular destination for K-wellness shopping, with global customers accounting for more than 40% of its sales.

Hand care products, which make popular travel gifts, have also become an OLIVE YOUNG must-buy, with international customers accounting for 40% of total category sales. Perfumed hand creams from brands including BEYOND, HETRAS and W.DRESSROOM have been particularly popular, offering a wide range of fragrances.

“Even in skincare, a category where we have traditionally been strong, interest is rapidly shifting toward functional products designed to address specific skin concerns rather than simply provide general care,” noted an OLIVE YOUNG representative. “It is also noteworthy that K-beauty consumption is expanding beyond skincare into areas such as hair care and inner beauty.”

*Based on a simple calculation assuming stores operate 12 hours a day, 365 days a year.

International sales milestone reached three months earlier than last year as tourist traffic across Korea continues to grow CJ OLIVE YOUNG announced that cumulative purchases by international customers at its offline stores in Korea surpassed KRW 1 trillion as of August, reaching the milestone three months earlier than last year as its network of “K-beauty landmarks” across the country continues to encourage international visitors to explore destinations beyond Seoul. From January through August, global customers made 11.01 million purchases, meaning that, based on store operating hours, an international customer made a purchase at an OLIVE YOUNG store approximately every 0.9 seconds.* According to tax refund data from Global Tax Free (GTF), global customers shopping at OLIVE YOUNG stores came from 192 countries. As OLIVE YOUNG has become a must-visit destination for K-beauty shopping, global customers’ share of total offline store sales has also risen significantly, from just 2% in 2022 to 33% as of August this year. The top five countries by number of purchases this year were the United States, Singapore, Japan, China and Thailand (listed in alphabetical order). Customers purchased an average of six products spanning K-beauty and K-wellness, while 35% spent more than KRW 100,000 per visit. Skincare was the most popular category, followed by makeup and hair care. Global customer sales surge 105% in Gangwon Province, while Gyeongju, Daejeon and Jeonju also see strong growth International customer sales at OLIVE YOUNG stores outside the Seoul metropolitan area have also grown notably. From January through August this year, global customer sales increased 47% year over year nationwide. In Gangwon Province, sales to global customers jumped 105%, while traditionally domestic tourist destinations such as Gyeongju, Daejeon and Jeonju also recorded growth well above the national average, at 88%, 80% and 62%, respectively. The number of nationalities visiting OLIVE YOUNG stores in regional areas has also increased. In Gangwon Province, customers came from 85 countries this year, up from 76 last year, while Gyeongju saw the number rise from 88 to 100 countries. The figures point to a broader trend of international visitors expanding their travel beyond the Seoul metropolitan area. This shift has been driven in part by OLIVE YOUNG’s expansion of large “town” stores averaging more than 660 square meters (approximately 7,100 square feet) in size, as well as specialty stores that reflect the character of their respective regions. Rather than limiting their shopping to major commercial areas in Seoul, international visitors are increasingly incorporating OLIVE YOUNG’s key stores across Korea into their travel itineraries. Global customers are also showing a tendency to visit multiple stores during a trip rather than completing all of their shopping at a single location. In a survey conducted by OLIVE YOUNG in May among international visitors to stores in its global tourism commercial districts, respondents said they visited an average of 2.8 OLIVE YOUNG stores per person. OLIVE YOUNG is developing its offline stores as showcases where competitive K-beauty and K-wellness brands can connect with consumers from around the world. By analyzing factors such as the number of international customers and their share of sales, OLIVE YOUNG has designated areas with high concentrations of international visitors as “OLIVE YOUNG Global Tourism Commercial Districts.” At these stores, the company prioritizes multilingual staff and provides signage in multiple languages to make shopping more convenient for international visitors. As of August, 151 OLIVE YOUNG stores nationwide were designated as Global Tourism Commercial District stores, accounting for more than 10% of all stores. For small and emerging indie brands, being stocked at OLIVE YOUNG can help introduce their products to international customers from more than 190 countries. In the past, global customers largely made “destination purchases,” seeking out specific products that had already gained popularity through word of mouth in their home countries. More recently, however, growing interest in OLIVE YOUNG’s broader product curation has led more international visitors to discover and purchase new products during their trips. This is creating more opportunities for small and indie brands that have yet to build strong awareness overseas to connect with consumers around the world through OLIVE YOUNG. Expanding regional stores and improving convenience for international shoppers OLIVE YOUNG plans to continue expanding stores outside the Seoul metropolitan area, maximizing each location’s unique character and offering differentiated experiences. The goal is to establish “K-beauty landmarks” that international visitors will want to seek out as they travel beyond Seoul, while offering a distinct and varied shopping experience at each location. In major destinations such as Busan and Jeju, OLIVE YOUNG will continue expanding large-scale renovations and locally tailored stores to meet rapidly growing tourism demand. Through these efforts, the company aims to encourage international visitors to explore more destinations across Korea, revitalize local commercial districts and bring new energy to the tourism industry outside the Seoul metropolitan area. OLIVE YOUNG will also continue improving the shopping experience for international visitors. Its AI Shopping Assistant, introduced at select Seoul stores in June, supports voice interactions in eight languages: Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, German, Russian, Thai and Indonesian. By the end of the year, OLIVE YOUNG plans to analyze the nationality, age groups, preferences and travel purposes of global customers by commercial district and make broader improvements to store operations, enabling customers to enjoy a more personalized shopping experience. “As Korea enters an era of 20 million international visitors, we will strengthen our role as infrastructure for the K-tourism industry by leveraging large-scale and locally distinctive stores not only in Seoul but also across the country,” said an OLIVE YOUNG representative. “In Korea, our goal is to introduce K-beauty and K-wellness to international visitors, while in the U.S., we aim to connect local consumers with these categories and help nurture emerging brands, contributing to the continued growth of the industry.” K-derma skincare sales surge, while functional K-hair care emerges as a new trend Skincare, a traditional strength of K-beauty, has remained a staple among international shoppers. This year, K-derma products have been particularly notable. Sales of K-derma skincare, a category rooted in dermatological science, increased approximately 78% year over year among global customers from January through August. The growth reflects demand from international consumers looking not only to beauty tourism but also to address specific skin concerns as part of their daily skincare routines. In response to growing global interest in functional skincare, OLIVE YOUNG has recently begun developing “Advanced Derma,” an evolved category that takes K-derma one step further. The company has developed and curated daily-use skincare products in collaboration with the product IP of six leading Korean pharmaceutical companies. Functional K-hair care is also emerging as a new trend among international visitors. While international customers account for approximately 18% of total hair care sales, their share rises to 28% for hair tonics and ampoules, well above the category average. Scalp-soothing and hair-loss-care products from brands such as LABO-H and LILLYVE, particularly those in convenient formats such as roll-ons and brushes, have attracted strong interest. Inner beauty products have also maintained their popularity amid the growing wellness trend. Global customer sales in the inner beauty category increased 64% year over year through August. Popular products included Olive Lemon Shot, slimming jellies, pumpkin tea and collagen products. Olive Better, the wellness curation platform launched this year, has also emerged as a popular destination for K-wellness shopping, with global customers accounting for more than 40% of its sales. Hand care products, which make popular travel gifts, have also become an OLIVE YOUNG must-buy, with international customers accounting for 40% of total category sales. Perfumed hand creams from brands including BEYOND, HETRAS and W.DRESSROOM have been particularly popular, offering a wide range of fragrances. “Even in skincare, a category where we have traditionally been strong, interest is rapidly shifting toward functional products designed to address specific skin concerns rather than simply provide general care,” noted an OLIVE YOUNG representative. “It is also noteworthy that K-beauty consumption is expanding beyond skincare into areas such as hair care and inner beauty.” *Based on a simple calculation assuming stores operate 12 hours a day, 365 days a year.