CJ Olive Young Launches First U.S. Store in Pasadena, California

CJ Olive Young is set to make a significant entry into the U.S. beauty market by opening its first standalone store and launching a dedicated online shop simultaneously. Positioned in the heart of Pasadena, California, an area dominated by major beauty retailers like Sephora and Ulta Beauty, the store aims to serve as a showcase for K-beauty and a launchpad for domestic indie brands entering the U.S. market.
 
The Pasadena location, named "Olive Young Pasadena," will open on May 29 (local time) on Colorado Boulevard, a prime shopping district in California. This area is known for its concentration of global premium brands, including Apple, Lululemon, and Tiffany & Co. The store will span approximately 803 square meters (about 243 pyeong), comparable in size to Olive Young's major outlets in South Korea.
 
The Pasadena store will focus exclusively on K-beauty, featuring over 400 brands and more than 5,000 products, with more than 80% of the offerings being K-beauty and K-wellness items. The store will adapt quickly to trends, updating its product curation every two weeks.
 
Inside the store, "The Beauty Lab" will offer free skincare lessons that include self-diagnosis using skin scan devices, followed by personalized consultations. Olive Young's unique "half-service" model, which allows customers to explore freely while still having access to professional beauty advice, will be implemented in the U.S. market.
 
Alongside the Pasadena store, Olive Young will launch a dedicated online shopping platform for U.S. customers. The company recently established a 3,600-square-meter (about 1,100 pyeong) automated logistics center in Bloomington, California, which has reduced delivery times from 5-7 days to 3-5 days. Additionally, the minimum purchase for free shipping has been lowered from $60 to $35 for the local online store, making it more accessible for customers.
 
Olive Young will also introduce the "OY Members" program, an integrated online and offline membership system that offers differentiated benefits based on membership levels. The company plans to support local marketing for smaller brands through its own promotions, such as "Brand of the Week."
 
Lee Sun-jung, CEO of Olive Young, stated, "Just as we have helped numerous small and medium brands grow in a market once dominated by a few large international brands, we aim to contribute to the deeper establishment of K-beauty and K-lifestyle in overseas markets."
 
Kwon Ga-eun, head of Olive Young's U.S. operations, added, "The Pasadena store will serve as a forward base for introducing various domestic brands to the global market, leveraging Olive Young's insights and brand incubating capabilities developed in Korea."