Interview with Park Insu, CEO of Ullala
Proposing Trendy Products Targeting 2030
High-End Pajamas and Underwear Popular Among Homebodies
Expanding Customer Base to Men and Kids
[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] "We pursue luxurious designs so that underwear can become fashion."
Park Insu, CEO (60·photo) of the 25-year-old fashion innerwear brand 'Ullala,' started an underwear store 25 years ago in a 1.5-pyeong shop in Dongdaemun Market. At first, he sold ready-made products. Then, after a few orders of underwear produced through Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) unexpectedly gained great popularity, he increased production and officially started the business. He took a bold step by producing everything in-house, from fabric materials to printing. Currently, he operates both a Dongdaemun direct store and an online shopping mall established in 2007.
The brand name Ullala is a rhythmic expression of the French exclamation meaning "Oh my!" It proposes trendy products that appeal to customers in their 20s and 30s who pursue fashion and have distinct individuality. Starting with the underwear brand 'Ullala Lingerie,' it created sub-brands such as 'Ullala Pajamas' for comfortable homewear and 'BVB' for sexy lingerie targeting overseas markets.
Ullala's unique strengths lie in sophisticated design and the distinctive comfort when worn. CEO Park said, "Ullala aims to be 'underwear you want to show off' and excels in innerwear design," adding, "We have recently introduced products with comfort as the concept, reflecting consumer trends that prioritize comfort, and the response has been positive."
The top sales contributor is the women's underwear set 'Flower Jam,' released after thorough inspection. It has been a bestseller loved for over 10 years. It attracts customers with luxurious lace decorations and vibrant colors. The sensibly designed 'Cherry Blossom Connection,' which pursues the essence of underwear?comfort, has also become a steady seller. After renewing the online shopping mall through the global e-commerce platform Cafe24, the product variety expanded to about 1,000 items.
This year, sales have grown in line with the 'stay-at-home' trend caused by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). High-priced pajamas and underwear, gifts for oneself even if unseen by others, are gaining popularity compared to previous years. Ullala's sales grew 30% year-on-year this year, entering a stable phase. CEO Park expressed confidence that sales will continue to grow further.
CEO Park said, "While strengthening the current product lineup, we are expanding the customer base by offering pajamas for men and children," adding, "In the Chinese market, we plan to operate both offline and online sales; offline will seek channels through distributors, and online will cooperate with local companies to produce locally."
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