Specialized Store with Enhanced Experience Features Opens on the 26th
Half of the 1st Floor Dedicated to Brand Pop-ups...Jointly Planned Exhibitions Scheduled
Hongdae Store Renovated into a Foreigners' Specialized Store
CJ Olive Young is launching a specialized store targeting the 'Jalpasedae (Generation Z + Alpha Generation)' born after 1990 on the streets of Hongdae. The store features elements that allow customers to experience the latest cosmetic trends and the brands housed within.
According to CJ Olive Young on the 25th, 'Olive Young Hongdae Town' will officially open on the 26th in the heart of Hongdae, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Olive Young Hongdae Town spans a total of 300 pyeong (991㎡) across the first to third floors, making it the second-largest store after the foreigner-specialized 'Myeongdong Town' (350 pyeong, 1157㎡).
Located on a main road leading from Exit 8 of Hongdae Station on Line 2 to the 'Walkable Street,' it is expected to become a landmark that embraces not only foreign tourists but also domestic customers who are quick to follow trends.
The Hongdae Town store is designed as a space where customers can not only shop but also meet and experience the latest beauty trends and brands. The first floor is composed as a 'Collaboration Popup Zone.' While it is common to aggressively display products on the first floor to encourage purchases, Olive Young boldly abandoned this approach. The popup zone concept is 'collaboration,' and every month it plans to showcase joint exhibitions with new beauty brands and cross-industry content such as movies, games, and characters.
On the second and third floors, customers can find beauty products carefully selected by Olive Young. The second floor is arranged mainly with color cosmetics and premium brands recommended by professional MDs. It also features a dedicated space called 'Luxe Edit,' a 'Fragrance Bar' where popular brand perfumes can be sampled, and a 'Trending Now Zone' introducing noteworthy brands.
The third floor is mainly dedicated to basic cosmetics such as skincare. It includes a men's specialty area called 'Men's Total Zone,' a 'Hairstyling Bar' with enhanced experiential elements, and a 'K-Beauty Now Zone' for foreign customers. The store atmosphere is created by reinterpreting the unique street culture. Media facades installed inside and outside the building, stairs, and elevators incorporate K-pop, graffiti art, and photo zones.
At the end of this month, the 'Hongdae Entrance' store will be renewed as a specialized store targeting global customers and is scheduled to reopen at the end of June. Last year, the number of purchases by foreign customers at Olive Young that received post-tax refund benefits reached an impressive 3.7 million transactions. According to a recent internal survey conducted by Olive Young targeting foreign customers, 85% of respondents included a visit to Olive Young in their itinerary when visiting Korea. In response, Olive Young has introduced portable translators capable of interpreting 16 languages in all Olive Young stores nationwide starting this month.
An Olive Young official stated, "We will nurture Hongdae as the 'second K-beauty special district' following Myeongdong by providing differentiated K-beauty shopping experiences to both domestic and foreign customers," adding, "We plan to continue innovating the 'customer experience' at the frontline stores where we meet customers, offering enjoyment beyond shopping."
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