At 9 a.m. on the 1st in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, at Olive Young N Seongsu. Even though it was early morning with nearly an hour to go before the store opened, dozens of people were already lined up at the door. There were local customers, but there were especially many foreign tourists. A CJ Olive Young official said, "The proportion of foreigners is usually high, and there are many opening runs."
Starting this day and for the month of December, Olive Young is collaborating with Pop Mart Korea to run a "2025 Olive Young Awards, Pop Mart" pop-up store (temporary store) at Olive Young N Seongsu. Pop Mart is a Chinese toy brand that has gained popularity worldwide with character goods such as Labubu, Little Star, Dimoo, and Molly.
The store was decorated with a concept that brought out a year-end mood centered on Pop Mart characters. From the large and small trees placed throughout the store to the product display designs, theme colors, and lighting, it evoked a quaint European Christmas market. Employees added to the atmosphere by wearing Santa capes or green jumpsuits.
More than 100 products were on sale by character, including figures, key rings, straps, and dolls. There are also limited-edition products with Christmas designs. Labubu has been credited with stoking consumers' desire to collect through blind boxes, which do not reveal which doll is inside until the packaging is opened, and limited-edition releases.
The "2025 Olive Young Awards" winning products were displayed in a separate space. The Olive Young Awards is an event established in 2015 that selects popular items by category based on more than 100 million purchases a year. A wide range of categories were represented, from cosmetics such as essences, shampoos, and hand care to foods such as bagel chips and vitamins.
On one side, there was also an experience space called "Awards gift sorting room" so customers could remember the winning products for a long time. After trying the products, visitors check small postcards on a desk, printed with the name and description of the No. 1 item, using a magnifying glass. The postcards can then be placed in a Santa stocking-shaped envelope labeled with the category the product belongs to.
As word of mouth spread among foreigners and the share of visitors increased, the fact that Olive Young N-only merchandise was being sold also stood out. Eco bags, pouches, and key rings engraved with brand logos such as Olive Young N Seongsu and OYn were on display. All are products available only at Olive Young N Seongsu.
In fact, Olive Young's sales to foreigners are showing a steep increase this year. From January to November this year, the amount spent by foreign visitors to Korea at offline stores nationwide surpassed a cumulative 1 trillion won. That is 26 times higher than the full-year performance in 2022. At the time, foreigners accounted for about 2% of total offline sales, but this year, for the first time, the figure reached the 25% range.