Amorepacific growth gains pace on overseas sales

Amorepacific headquarters in Seoul (Getty Images)

South Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific reclaimed annual sales above 4 trillion won ($2.7 billion) for the first time in three years in 2025, with operating profit surging more than 50 percent as its overseas expansion strategy started to pay off.

According to the company on Sunday, Amorepacific posted a 9.5 percent increase in revenue to 4.25 trillion won in 2025 from a year earlier, while operating profit jumped 52.3 percent to 335.8 billion won.

The performance propelled Amorepacific Group’s consolidated revenue to 4.6 trillion won, up 8.5 percent from a year earlier, with operating profit reaching 368 billion won, the group’s highest level since before the pandemic.

The improvement follows the company’s heavier reliance on Western markets. Overseas revenue rose 15 percent and operating profit more than doubled, compared with 5 percent growth in domestic sales.

The company said strong demand for skin care products and new brand launches, including Aestura and Hanyul, helped lift sales in the Americas by 20 percent, while revenue in Europe, the Middle East and Africa surged 42 percent as distribution expanded. China returned to profitability following restructuring, and Japan and Southeast Asia posted solid growth, supported by derma brands Aestura and Illiyoon.

“We seek to become a global beauty leader through expansion in core markets, integrated beauty solutions and innovation powered by biotechnology and artificial intelligence,” a company official said.

Amorepacific’s financial rebound made rival LG Household & Health Care’s performance pale by comparison, as the latter grappled with weak demand in China and restructuring costs.

LG H&H’s fourth-quarter revenue fell 8.5 percent from a year earlier to 1.47 trillion won, as the company swung to an operating loss. For the full year, sales declined 6.7 percent to 6.36 trillion won, while operating profit plunged 62.8 percent to 170.7 billion won.

While brands such as Dr. Groot and Euthymol delivered strong growth in the US and Japan, revenue in China fell 8.7 percent, weighing on overall overseas performance. “In China and the domestic market, we plan to focus on improving profitability through continued restructuring of our duty free operations,” an LG H&H official said.

LG H&H said it aims to stage a turnaround by expanding in fast growing digital and health-and-beauty retail channels while stepping up its push in overseas markets.