Foreigner-friendly Olive Young opens in Seoul

The renovated Olive Young 'Myeong-dong Town' branch draws tourists with its trendy K-beauty products, expanding its customer base to a global audience.

A lengthy queue forms in front of the two-story Olive Young Myeong-dong Town branch in central Seoul on Wednesday morning. Most of the people waiting were foreigners, gathered 10 minutes before the 10 a.m. opening time. The branch reopened Wednesday following a two-month renovation. [SEO JI-EUN]

In the bustling heart of tourist-friendly Myeong-dong on Wednesday morning, a lengthy line formed, primarily comprised of foreigners. Among the crowd were tourists with carry-on luggage, a sight that stood out.

However, it wasn't your typical queue for a K-pop idol fan meeting or a limited-edition pop-up store; rather, it was for Olive Young, the Korean version of Sephora or Watsons. Crowds gathered just 10 minutes prior to the store's grand reopening.

Located in central Seoul, the Olive Young "Myeong-dong Town" branch has cemented its status as a must-visit destination for foreign travelers. Previously, the trend was for tourists to head to duty-free shops in search of premium cosmetics like Sulhwasoo or The Whoo. Nowadays, tourists are drawn to the one-stop-shop Olive Young, a store that caters to a younger crowd, and offers a collection of popular K-beauty products.

“Before the renovation, the Myeong-dong Town branch used to receive an average of about 3,000 visitors per day, with approximately 90 percent of them being foreign tourists,” an Olive Young spokesperson said Wednesday. “Chinese tourists took center stage in terms of purchases in the pre-Covid era, but this year, the customer base has broadened to include visitors from Southeast Asia, English-speaking countries, and Japan, expanding its reach to a global audience.”

CJ Olive Young reported a 840 percent growth in foreign sales at its Myeong-dong area stores from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31 compared to the same period last year. Additionally, it noted that its online platform catering to customers from over 150 countries, the Olive Young Global Mall, saw a 77 percent rise in sales on year during the same period.

Riding on the wave of this heightened popularity among foreign visitors, the Myeong-dong Town branch underwent a comprehensive two-month-long store renovation and reopened its doors on Wednesday, with an unwavering focus on serving foreign customers.

The newly revamped store now spans a vast area over two floors, totaling 1,157 square meters (12,450 square feet). It stands as the largest Olive Young branch among the roughly 1,300 stores across Korea, boasting the highest sales. The store operates a total of 20 checkout counters, with 14 situated on the first floor and six on the second.

Ana Flavia Piva, a 28-year-old Brazilian tourist, and her fiance visited the Olive Young Myeong-dong branch on Wednesday.

“Olive Young has become a must-go on the Korean travel itinerary for sure,” Ana said. “On platforms like Instagram and TikTok, you can find people shopping and offering recommendations on what to buy. K-beauty is gaining prominence in my home country, as Korean dramas and K-pop continue to rise in popularity.”

“We're glad that we had the opportunity to visit the store on the last day of our trip,” said Miguel Sebastian, Ana Flavia's 29-year-old fiance. “The store's design is impressive compared to other Olive Young branches, making me want to make a purchase. I'm more accustomed to smaller shop spaces.”

In alignment with its identity as a “foreigner-friendly store,” the Myeong-dong Town branch is equipped with staff proficient in foreign languages, encompassing not only English but also Chinese and Japanese. Product names are labeled in both Korean and English, allowing foreign tourists to make informed choices as they scrutinize products by applying them to their hands or referencing photos they've saved in advance.

The display wall of the Olive Young Myeong-dong Town branch, known for its foreigner tailored store concept, showcases a vast array of face masks. They stand out as a particularly popular choice for foreign customers, according to the company. [SEO JI-EUN]

Notably, the most densely populated section was the face mask corner, which took over the entire left store wall — a departure from the typical arrangement found in other Olive Young stores, where a few shelves in a corner would suffice. This corner featured a curated selection of products from renowned brands like Abib, Dr.Jart+, Mediheal, and more, all of which grabbed the attention of the enthusiastic K-beauty lovers.

“We've prominently displayed items that foreign tourists frequently seek, such as sheet masks and sunscreens,” said the store manager Song Ji-hoo. “Additionally, at the front of the store, we showcased new and popular K-beauty brand products recommended by Olive Young every month. Near the central staircase leading to the second floor, we've placed the products most sought after by foreign customers.”

An interesting aspect is the recognition the brand Beauty of Joseon has gained among foreign visitors, despite being relatively unfamiliar to local customers. The brand occupies a prominent position in the sunscreen section on the first floor. During a visit, one American customer pointed to Beauty of Joseon's Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics product and remarked, “This is what I use,” as she shopped with her friends. An Olive Young staff continuously restocked the shelf with Beauty of Joseon sunscreen.

The largest multibrand store in Korea has recently taken on the role of being the “gateway” to K-beauty by introducing Korean beauty products to international consumers through their global online mall, and bringing them in to their flagship store in Myeong-dong.

Since Beauty of Joseon was introduced in offline stores, its monthly sales have exhibited consistent growth, with an increase of 45 percent, according to CJ Olive Young. Furthermore, the multibrand store has been instrumental in bringing less popular K-beauty items to the domestic market, including brands like Skin1004 and Cosrx, renowned for their skincare products.

Located on the second floor of the Olive Young Myeong-dong Town branch, a tax refund area has been prepared in a corner, providing convenience for international shoppers. [SEO JI-EUN]

“Olive Young Myeong-dong Town serves as a flagship global store that showcases the charm of smaller K-beauty brands with overwhelming product competitiveness.” an Olive Young official said. “For foreign tourists, it's the Myeong-dong Town branch, and for overseas customers, it's our online Global Mall, the primary channels for experiencing K-beauty shopping, anytime, anywhere.” BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]