'K-Beauty' Spreads Its Wings Again in the Chinese Market

LG Household & Health Care Hoo Cheongidan Hwahyeon Set

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Korean cosmetics, which had struggled in the Chinese market due to the impact of COVID-19 and other factors, have once again captivated Chinese consumers. During China’s biggest mid-year shopping event, the '6·18 Festival,' Korean brands ranked high in sales, proving their competitiveness once again.

According to the cosmetics industry on the 26th, LG Household & Health Care recorded sales of 580 million yuan (approximately 89.3 billion KRW) for six luxury cosmetic brands?Whoo, Su:m37, O Hui, belif, VDL, and CNP?during the ‘618 Shopping Festival’ held from June 1 to 20 on Tmall, marking a 70% increase compared to the previous year.

Among them, Whoo grew by 72% year-on-year, ranking 5th among luxury cosmetic brands following Est?e Lauder, Lanc?me, La Mer, and Shiseido. Notably, Whoo’s flagship product, the ‘Cheongidan Hwahyun’ set, ranked 3rd in single product sales across all categories on Tmall, following the iPhone 12 and Gree air conditioners, and secured 1st place in the cosmetics category.

Additionally, Su:m37 grew by 90%, O Hui by 55%, CNP by 57%, belif by 68%, and VDL by 209%, showing significant growth centered on luxury cosmetic brands compared to the previous year.

Amorepacific’s Mamonde saw a 25% increase in sales during the event. Sulwhasoo, another luxury cosmetic brand, also achieved double-digit sales growth. Aekyung Industrial’s AGE 20′s ‘Essence Cover Pact’ sold 225,000 units during the event. The ‘618 set,’ planned in collaboration with famous Wanghong (Chinese internet influencers) Viya, sold out 25,000 sets during the pre-order period.

Shinsegae International’s VDIVOV increased sales on Tmall by 950%, resulting in an overall 158% increase in online sales in China compared to the previous year. During this period, Yeonjak, who conducted live broadcasts with famous Wanghong Viya, also saw sales increase by 153%.

Dr. Jart+ achieved record-high sales of 120 million yuan (approximately 21 billion KRW), a 57% increase year-on-year. The brand benefited from promotional effects by appointing K-pop singer Jackson, who is well-known in China, as its ambassador.

The 6·18 event is a shopping festival created by JD.com, China’s second-largest e-commerce company, modeled after Alibaba’s shopping event, the ‘11.11 Global Shopping Festival’ (Singles’ Day). Not only JD.com but also other companies like Alibaba hold large-scale discount events starting from June 1.

A cosmetics industry official said, “Due to revenge buying and vaccination effects, cosmetics consumption in China is recovering rapidly,” adding, “With the easing of mask-wearing mandates in the future, sales in the color cosmetics sector are expected to recover.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.