Thought It Was Olive Young? A Closer Look at the Green Signboard Reveals 'Only Young'

Green Signboard and Name Also Resemble Olive Young... "Surprisingly Similar"
Criticism Over Use of K-pop Marketing and Korean Wave Image

Controversy has arisen after it was revealed that a beauty store in China is operating with a similar appearance, name, color concept, and even marketing strategy to Olive Young, the leading health and beauty (H&B) store in Korea. The use of green signage and interior, a store name emphasizing 'Young,' and promotional activities utilizing K-pop have led many to comment that the store strongly reminds them of Olive Young.

A beauty store named "Onlyyoung" located in Changsha City, Hunan Province, China. Douyin

According to the retail industry on January 14, beauty stores named 'Only Young' are currently operating in Changsha and Liuyang in Hunan Province, China. These stores mainly sell cosmetics and beauty-related products from well-known international brands.

Green Signage and Shopping Bags Resemble Olive Young

The store’s signature color is green, which is prominently used on shopping bags, signage, and throughout the interior design. This is similar to Olive Young, which also uses green as its symbolic color, raising concerns that foreign consumers may mistakenly believe the store is a Korean brand.

The store’s name also draws comparisons to Olive Young. Not only is the English name 'Only Young' similar, but the Chinese name 'Qing Ningshaoyang' follows a comparable concept. The first two characters, 'Qingning,' refer to lime, evoking the image of green fruit much like Olive Young’s 'Olive.'

Photo of the store posted on social media by a netizen who visited Only Young. Thread

K-pop-Based Marketing... Criticism of Misusing the Korean Wave Image

The store also actively leverages the Korean Wave in its marketing. Its Douyin account, a Chinese social networking service (SNS), features numerous promotional videos using K-pop as background music, with the total number of 'likes' reaching 156,000.

One netizen who visited the store posted on SNS on December 4, saying, "I came to Changsha, China, and what is this? I was surprised at how similar it is," expressing their astonishment.

The 'KR' sign displayed on the storefront of the Chinese household goods distributor 'Mumuso' located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Photo by Seokyeongdeok Professor Instagram

A similar case has occurred in the household goods industry. Previously, the Chinese lifestyle goods company 'Mumuso' sparked controversy by using marketing and labeling reminiscent of Korea, despite not being a Korean company. Recently, it was revealed that stores in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, have been displaying the 'KR' sign. Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women’s University pointed out, "This is a case of exploiting the renewed popularity of Korean Wave content."

Meanwhile, Olive Young has withdrawn from the Chinese market. Olive Young entered China by opening its first store in Shanghai in 2013, but withdrew after business contracted due to the aftermath of the THAAD deployment and the resulting restrictions on Korean content in 2016.