Olive Young's 2026 sales to foreign customers top $727 mil. by Aug.

Visitors shop at Seoul Station's Olive Young in Seoul, Aug. 4. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

By Lee Gyu-lee

• Published Aug 31, 2026 3:42 PM KST
• Updated Aug 31, 2026 3:54 PM KST

Regional sales surge as international tourists diversify shopping destinations

Foreign customers' purchases at health and beauty retailer CJ Olive Young surpassed 1 trillion won ($727.5 million) at its domestic stores in the first eight months of this year, reaching the milestone three months earlier than last year, while also seeing international visitors at its locations beyond Seoul.

CJ Olive Young said Monday that cumulative purchases by foreign customers at its offline stores from January to August exceeded 1 trillion won, reaching the milestone earlier than last year when it achieved equivalent sales in November.

The company recorded 11.01 million transactions by foreign customers during the period, or roughly one transaction every 0.9 seconds during store operating hours.

The development underscores how K-beauty retailers are increasingly becoming part of tourism infrastructure, rather than simply a shopping stop in Seoul’s popular districts.

Foreign customers accounted for 33 percent of Olive Young’s total offline store sales as of August, up from 2 percent in 2022, according to the company.

Tax refund data from the tax refund service provider Global Tax Free showed customers from 192 countries made purchases at Olive Young stores this year. The top five countries by number of customers were the United States, Singapore, Japan, China and Thailand.

Sales to foreign customers increased 47 percent nationwide year-on-year from January to August this year.

Growth was particularly strong outside Seoul and other major tourist hubs. Sales to foreign customers in Gangwon Province more than doubled, rising 105 percent year-on-year.

The sales also jumped 88 percent in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, 80 percent in Daejeon and 62 percent in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, locations where tourism has traditionally been driven by domestic visitors.

The number of nationalities visiting Olive Young stores in regional areas also increased. In Gangwon Province, customers came from 85 countries this year, up from 76 last year, while Gyeongju saw visitors from 100 countries, compared with 88 a year earlier.

The figures point to a broader shift in shopping patterns among foreign tourists, who are increasingly visiting the retail stores along their travel routes rather than concentrating their purchases in Seoul.

A survey of foreign shoppers at Olive Young stores in designated tourism districts in May found that they visited an average of 2.8 stores per person, suggesting that tourists are increasingly adding multiple Olive Young locations to their travel itineraries.

Olive Young has designated 151 stores nationwide as key locations for foreign tourists, prioritizing multilingual staff and providing shopping information in multiple languages. The stores account for more than 10 percent of its domestic store network.

The retailer said it plans to expand large-format and regionally tailored stores outside the capital area, particularly in major tourist destinations such as Busan and Jeju Island, as foreign tourist spending spreads beyond Seoul.

Foreign tourists are also broadening their purchases beyond traditional skin care, with sales of dermocosmetic skin care products rising about 78 percent from January to August, while sales in the inner beauty category increased 64 percent.

“Even within the traditionally strong skin care category, interest is growing rapidly in ‘functional’ products that go beyond basic skin care to address specific skin concerns,” the company official said. “It is also notable that K-beauty consumption is expanding beyond skin care into categories such as hair care and inner beauty.”