CJ Olive Young has opened the largest non-capital town store and a design-specialized store in Busan, aiming to expand its K-Beauty presence. The company plans to develop Busan as a global shopping hub in response to the increasing number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea.
On August 28, Olive Young relocated its largest non-capital town store, 'Olive Young Nampo Town,' in Nampo-dong, Jung-gu, and on August 30, it opened the design-specialized store 'Olive Young Millak Market' in Minrak-dong, Suyeong-gu.
The company is focusing on making Busan a key K-Beauty hub outside the capital, with 3.1 million foreign tourists visiting the city last year, the highest among non-capital cities. In the first half of this year, the number of visitors increased by 43.9% compared to the previous year, reaching 2.42 million. Notably, cruise tourism has surged, with the number of cruise tourists expected to quadruple from 257,000 in 2025 to 990,000 this year.
The Millak Market store features a design inspired by a fictional ship named 'Ol-Youngho' docked at Minrak Port. The store's layout evokes the lively atmosphere of a seafood market, incorporating views of the Gwangandaegyo Bridge and Minrak Port into its design. The color and food displays create a market-like ambiance, and bulk product displays differentiate it from traditional stores.
To cater to the lifestyles of the 2030 generation and global tourists, the store enhances its offerings beyond K-Beauty to include food and beverage curation. It is the first Olive Young store to introduce freezers and has extended its hours until 11 p.m. to accommodate late-night visitors, featuring snacks, inner beauty, and wellness products.
The Nampo Town store has expanded from a single-story space of 200 pyeong to a four-story store covering 900 pyeong, making it the largest non-capital town store. It was designed based on the model of the representative global specialized store, 'Central Myeongdong Town,' incorporating data on foreign customers into its layout and operations.
For the first time in a non-capital area, three beauty consultants will provide skin diagnostics and personalized consultations. The store also features an 'Advanced Derma Specialized Zone' and a 'Mask Pack Library,' catering to the interests of foreign tourists. To enhance convenience for foreign customers, popular products will be prominently displayed, and staff will be concentrated during peak hours for cruise tourists.
Olive Young plans to continue expanding anchor tenant stores in regions with increasing foreign tourist traffic, including Jeju, Gangwon, Gyeongsang, and Jeolla, aiming to establish K-Beauty landmarks nationwide.
An Olive Young representative stated, "Busan, where global tourists gather, is one of the key stages for leading the globalization of K-Beauty. We will strive to establish ourselves as a shopping landmark representing K-Tourism outside the capital by combining the characteristics of local commercial districts with customer data for offline innovation."
Meanwhile, Olive Young is operating stores designated as 'Olive Young Global Tourism Districts' in areas frequented by foreign tourists.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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