CHICOR, a premium beauty select shop operated by Shinsegae Department Store, nearly doubled its sales on demand from foreign tourists.
Shinsegae Department Store said on the 19th that CHICOR's Myeong-dong and Hongdae stores, which opened in Dec. last year, saw sales almost double within four months of opening. As of Apr. this year, the share of sales from foreign customers reached 90.2% at Myeong-dong and 91% at Hongdae.
The company said its differentiated brand strategy centered on K-beauty has resonated with foreign tourists. From the outset, the Myeong-dong and Hongdae stores greatly expanded brands popular with foreign visitors and, more recently, strategically strengthened the beauty device category, which has been drawing rising interest among foreigners.
In particular, beauty devices are so popular that foreign customers line up before opening in so-called open-run scenes. In fact, last month, skincare and beauty device sales at CHICOR's Myeong-dong and Hongdae stores both increased more than 2.5 times compared with Jan. this year.
CHICOR has licensed professional makeup artists stationed in stores to offer color diagnosis, touch-up services and personalized product recommendations. It also operates a "Lip & Cheek Bar" where customers can freely test makeup brand products, encouraging demand for experiential shopping.
Building on this growth, Shinsegae Department Store is reviewing new openings focused on commercial districts with strong demand from foreign tourists. Following Myeong-dong and Hongdae, it plans to open new stores in Seongsu and Anguk to strengthen competitiveness in K-beauty content.
A Shinsegae Department Store official said, "Recently, customers at home and abroad want more than simply buying products; they want to directly experience K-beauty trends, lifestyle and professional beauty services," adding, "We will continue to discover differentiated brands and services and grow into the first 'K-beauty destination' global customers choose."
After scaling back during the COVID-19 crisis, CHICOR has recently been accelerating the expansion of its offline stores. It has revamped its business to target foreigners and has been opening new locations in key commercial areas such as Hongdae, Myeong-dong and Gangnam Station.