Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

From convenience stores in Japan to high-end department stores in Paris, K-beauty products are rapidly expanding their presence in mainstream retail channels around the world. What was once a largely online-driven trend is now becoming a fully global retail category, AzerNEWS reports, citing Korean media.

This expansion follows a milestone year in which South Korea became the world’s second-largest cosmetics exporter, according to industry data released on Sunday.

One notable example is Amuse, an indie K-beauty label owned by Shinsegae International. The brand recently opened permanent stores at Galeries Lafayette’s Champs-Élysées and Haussmann locations in Paris. Earlier pop-up events reportedly drew long queues before opening and sold out quickly, highlighting strong European demand for Korean beauty products.

The move attracted attention partly because Galeries Lafayette is known for its highly selective brand entry standards, suggesting that K-beauty has moved beyond niche popularity into mainstream luxury retail acceptance.

In Japan, K-beauty has taken an even more unusual route — into everyday convenience stores. A nationwide network of 7-Eleven locations has begun offering dedicated K-beauty sections, supported by e-commerce platform Qoo10. A pilot program reportedly exceeded sales expectations, showing that demand extends beyond specialty stores into daily consumer spaces.

Retailers are increasingly competing to attract K-beauty brands because of their strong ability to drive foot traffic and online buzz. Many products first gain popularity through social media before becoming “destination items” in physical stores.

One industry source noted that a key challenge for K-beauty companies is building strong local retail networks so they can evolve from viral online hits into long-term global brands rather than short-lived trends.

Major expansions are also taking place in the United States. The beauty tech company APR Corporation has entered thousands of stores across major retail chains, including Target and Walmart, with further expansion planned in the near future. It is also preparing for entry into Costco locations, reflecting growing mainstream acceptance in mass-market retail.

Beyond North America, K-beauty brands are spreading across Europe. Beauty of Joseon is now present in major retail chains such as Sephora in the United States and Europe, as well as Boots in the UK and Rossmann in Poland.

Meanwhile, major Korean beauty conglomerates like Amorepacific (with brands such as Laneige and Aestura) and LG Household & Health Care (with brands like Dr. Groot) continue expanding their presence in global retail giants such as Sephora and Costco.

Industry analysts estimate that cosmetics exports could surpass $13 billion this year if K-beauty maintains its momentum in overseas offline markets. South Korea’s cosmetics exports already reached record levels last year, placing the country second globally, behind France.

An interesting shift is that global beauty consumption is becoming increasingly hybrid: products are often discovered online through influencers and TikTok trends, but purchased offline in physical stores where consumers can test textures, shades, and scents. This “online-to-offline loop” is now one of the strongest drivers behind K-beauty’s global expansion.

Experts suggest that if Korean beauty brands successfully anchor themselves in local retail ecosystems, they could move from being trend-driven exports to long-term global category leaders — similar to how Japanese skincare defined earlier decades of Asian beauty influence.