The Business Behind Olive Young (Part 2)

Olive Young is more than Korea’s biggest beauty retailer. It is also a trend forecaster, data company, omnichannel platform and incubator for emerging K-Beauty brands.

In Part 2 of this special, Host Lauren Lee explores how Olive Young connects its physical stores, online platform, rapid delivery and live commerce to create a seamless discovery-led shopping experience. She also examines how its loyalty programme, consumer data and merchandising capabilities help the company identify trends and scale Korean beauty brands.

Plus, she looks at the more complicated side of Olive Young’s rise, including regulatory scrutiny over its supplier practices and the lawsuit involving a lifting mask sold under one of its in-house brands.

Finally, she breaks down Olive Young’s international expansion strategy, what went wrong with the launch of its dedicated US platform, the competition it faces from Amazon, Sephora and Ulta, and whether its platform model could support a successful return to China.

For full show notes and resources, visit:
Show Notes

Catch up on Part 1:
Part 1

Brands and Retailers Mentioned in This Episode

• Olive Young
• Amazon
• Sephora
• Ulta Beauty
• YesStyle
• Jelly Ko
• Etude House 
• Flower Knows

CONNECT WITH LAUREN: 

• Book a Consultation
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Threads
• YouTube
• Take a FREE Korean style skin analysis
• Shop Jelly Ko
• Shop Jelly Ko on YesStyle

Affiliate Disclaimer

Some links we share may be affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. This helps to offset the cost of producing the show.

A Small Request

If you use insights, data or research from this episode in your own content, we ask that you kindly credit The Korean Beauty Show and tag us where possible. It helps others find the original source and supports the work that goes into producing these episodes.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.