Key takeaways on Sephora x Olive Young partnership
- Sephora has partnered with South Korea’s CJ Olive Young to expand access to curated K‑Beauty globally
- Olive Young will curate a dedicated K‑Beauty zone across Sephora stores and online
- The partnership combines Olive Young’s Korean innovation expertise with Sephora’s global retail scale
- Launch begins in autumn across North America and Asia, with further international expansion planned for 2027
Prestige beauty retailer Sephora has formed a strategic partnership with South Korea’s leading health and beauty retailer, CJ Olive Young, to bring a curated selection of innovative K‑Beauty to global shoppers.
Parent company LVMH said that the offering will be available both in‑store and online, to help shoppers discover some of the most popular and trend‑driven Korean beauty brands.
The omnichannel partnership will launch in autumn across the US, Canada, Hong Kong and several Southeast Asian markets, including Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. In 2027, the partnership will expand into the Middle East, the UK and Australia.
Sephora currently has a presence in 35 countries with 3,400 points of sale and more than 80 million fans worldwide. Meanwhile, Olive Young operates 1,390 stores in South Korea and is widely recognised as a key player in driving K‑Beauty innovation.
Combining Korean innovation with global retail reach
Global Chief Merchandising Officer at Sephora, Priya Venkatesh, said Korean beauty is one of the most innovative, fastest‑growing and desirable categories in the global beauty market.
Venkatesh said the combination of Olive Young’s differentiated assortment and Sephora’s unique beauty shopping experience will “bring an unrivalled and inspiring offer for all beauty lovers who are keen to explore the most sought‑after Korean beauty products.”
“As global interest in K‑beauty continues to accelerate, we see this collaboration as a meaningful opportunity to work together in expanding the reach of Korean brands in key international markets,” added Youngah Lee, Chief Strategy Officer at CJ Olive Young.
Sephora retail model failed in South Korea
Ironically, South Korea is the one market that Sephora’s magic formula for beauty retail was unable to crack.
LVMH launched Sephora into the Korean market in 2019, but withdraw in May 2024. The country remains an extremely difficult market for many foreign businesses to succeed in, where they often face stiff competition from domestic competitors that already have a stronghold on the market.
