OLIVE YOUNG Sees 11-Fold Increase in Repeat International Visitors During O.Y SALE

press release

OLIVE YOUNG Sees 11-Fold Increase in Repeat International Visitors During O.Y SALE

2026.06.22

4min

AI Summary This summary was generated by AI. Please refer to the full article for accuracy.

International visitors who attended both the March and June O.Y SALE events increased 11-fold over three years, according to an analysis by CJ OLIVE YOUNG and Global Tax Free. During the June sale, international sales outside the Seoul metropolitan area rose 72% year over year and visits to the OLIVE YOUNG Global Mall grew more than 180%. OLIVE YOUNG plans to enhance curation and convenience for international customers.

The number of these repeat customers has continued to grow steadily each year. Since 2023, the number of international visitors who return to Korea at least twice a year to coincide with the sale has nearly doubled annually. Last year alone, approximately 6,200 international tourists visited Korea three or more times during O.Y SALE periods. Given the nature of the tax refund process, which requires travelers to leave Korea within a certain period, these customers are believed to have returned to their home countries before coming back to Korea for another O.Y SALE.

This growing base of repeat O.Y SALE visitors can be attributed to the event’s scale and distinctive shopping experience. Held four times a year in March, June, September and December, O.Y SALE brings together more than 1,500 beauty brands, offering a comprehensive look at the latest K-beauty trends each season. The K-beauty curation and convenient shopping experience customers discover in OLIVE YOUNG stores during their trips, combined with their growing confidence in the quality of K-beauty products after using them back home, are believed to encourage them to return for the next sale.

As O.Y SALE has evolved into a tourism experience in its own right, it is also contributing to increased spending outside the Seoul metropolitan area amid the growing “K-dailycation” trend, in which visitors experience everyday life in Korea. During the June sale, international sales at OLIVE YOUNG stores outside the Seoul metropolitan area rose 72% year over year, significantly outpacing the 45% increase nationwide. At the same time, customers unable to visit Korea in person joined the sale online, driving more than 180% year-over-year growth in visits to the OLIVE YOUNG Global Mall during the same period.

OLIVE YOUNG plans to further strengthen its K-beauty curation for international customers who visit Korea specifically for O.Y SALE, while enhancing convenience services at stores in major tourist shopping districts, including the introduction of shopping assistance devices. Through these efforts, the company aims to contribute not only to the growth of K-beauty but also to Korea’s tourism industry.

“More international visitors are returning to Korea for O.Y SALE, showing that OLIVE YOUNG has grown beyond being a representative K-beauty retailer to become a destination and experience in its own right,” said an OLIVE YOUNG representative. “We will continue to leverage our differentiated capabilities to enhance the shopping experience for international visitors while expanding opportunities for K-beauty brands to connect with customers around the world.”

CJ OLIVE YOUNG announced that an analysis of international customer data conducted with Global Tax Free (GTF), Korea’s leading tax refund provider, found that the number of international visitors who traveled to Korea for both the March and June O.Y SALE events this year increased 11-fold compared with three years ago. The number of these repeat customers has continued to grow steadily each year. Since 2023, the number of international visitors who return to Korea at least twice a year to coincide with the sale has nearly doubled annually. Last year alone, approximately 6,200 international tourists visited Korea three or more times during O.Y SALE periods. Given the nature of the tax refund process, which requires travelers to leave Korea within a certain period, these customers are believed to have returned to their home countries before coming back to Korea for another O.Y SALE. This growing base of repeat O.Y SALE visitors can be attributed to the event’s scale and distinctive shopping experience. Held four times a year in March, June, September and December, O.Y SALE brings together more than 1,500 beauty brands, offering a comprehensive look at the latest K-beauty trends each season. The K-beauty curation and convenient shopping experience customers discover in OLIVE YOUNG stores during their trips, combined with their growing confidence in the quality of K-beauty products after using them back home, are believed to encourage them to return for the next sale. As O.Y SALE has evolved into a tourism experience in its own right, it is also contributing to increased spending outside the Seoul metropolitan area amid the growing “K-dailycation” trend, in which visitors experience everyday life in Korea. During the June sale, international sales at OLIVE YOUNG stores outside the Seoul metropolitan area rose 72% year over year, significantly outpacing the 45% increase nationwide. At the same time, customers unable to visit Korea in person joined the sale online, driving more than 180% year-over-year growth in visits to the OLIVE YOUNG Global Mall during the same period. OLIVE YOUNG plans to further strengthen its K-beauty curation for international customers who visit Korea specifically for O.Y SALE, while enhancing convenience services at stores in major tourist shopping districts, including the introduction of shopping assistance devices. Through these efforts, the company aims to contribute not only to the growth of K-beauty but also to Korea’s tourism industry. “More international visitors are returning to Korea for O.Y SALE, showing that OLIVE YOUNG has grown beyond being a representative K-beauty retailer to become a destination and experience in its own right,” said an OLIVE YOUNG representative. “We will continue to leverage our differentiated capabilities to enhance the shopping experience for international visitors while expanding opportunities for K-beauty brands to connect with customers around the world.”