Overview of Musinsa Mega Store Seongsu and its beauty shop (graphic)
In Seoul’s Seongsu-dong neighborhood, where CJ Olive Young stores are clustered, fashion platform Musinsa has opened a supersized complex anchored by its first permanent offline beauty shop. The new Musinsa Mega Store Seongsu is a seven-minute walk from Olive Young N Seongsu, billed as the chain’s largest store nationwide. Musinsa is bundling beauty, food and hands-on experiences as it seeks a bigger presence in the offline beauty market.
The store, shown during a media tour on April 23, a day before its opening, spans five levels from basement 1 to the fourth floor. Each floor is organized by concept — including Musinsa Girls, Musinsa Young and Musinsa Work & Formal — with separate zones for the shoe specialty area Musinsa KICKS and the bags-and-hats section Musinsa Bag & Cap Club. The layout is designed so shoppers can outfit themselves head to toe within the store.
Basement level of Musinsa Mega Store Seongsu
The basement includes a coin karaoke area branded “Musingsa,” built as a large glass capsule that can fit four adults at once. A camera inside allows visitors to record themselves singing. Musinsa applied for the “Musingsa” trademark in July last year and has now brought it into a physical space. The unusual addition reflects Seongsu-dong’s experience-driven retail scene.
Beauty zone on the second floor of Musinsa Mega Store Seongsu
The most prominent addition is the second-floor beauty zone, a 483-square-meter (about 146-pyeong) space that serves as Musinsa’s first permanent offline beauty store. About 700 beauty brands are carried. Shelves are packed with skin care and hair products, and a dedicated mask-pack display fills an entire section. The merchandising appears to reflect rising foreign tourism in Seongsu-dong and demand for Korean mask packs among visitors.
With three Olive Young stores nearby, Musinsa is also emphasizing differentiation. A section called the “Only Musinsa Beauty Zone” groups products sold exclusively through Musinsa Beauty. A Musinsa official said shoppers can find brands recently added to Musinsa Beauty, including the Chinese color cosmetics brand Flower Knows. The area is also designed in red, contrasting with Olive Young’s signature green.
Food Garden on the fourth floor of Musinsa Mega Store Seongsu
The top floor is a new food-and-beverage area called “Food Garden.” Past the entrance, visitors pass Norway’s coffee brand Fuglen, then find a lineup that includes a garaetteok tteokbokki specialty shop, pizza and dessert brands. The setup resembles food halls in large malls or department stores, aimed at keeping shoppers on site longer after they finish shopping.
Musinsa’s mega store opening is expected to accelerate its beauty expansion and intensify competition with Olive Young in the Seongsu area. Musinsa created a beauty purchasing organization in the first quarter of this year and hired specialized staff. A Musinsa official said the company plans to continue hiring in the second quarter and expand the beauty team, adding that it aims to “cement its position as an unprecedented fashion-and-beauty hub in Seongsu.”
Competition between Olive Young and Musinsa heats up in Seongsu-dong, Seoul (AI-generated image)
* This article has been translated by AI.
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