"Full Makeup Demand Surges"... Experiencing Offline Strength Applied to Beauty Too

Lotte Department Store Sees 40% Surge in Color Cosmetics Sales Over 2 Weeks
Expands Offline-Exclusive Beauty Services Including Demonstrations and Consultations

The first spring welcoming 'no masks' since COVID-19 has significantly increased sales of beauty brands in department stores. The demand for color cosmetics, which was neglected during the COVID-19 period, has surged, leading the overall growth in cosmetics sales. The industry is strengthening offline-exclusive beauty services and benefits in response to this trend, using beauty brands as an attraction to draw visitors to department stores. They are applying the offline strength of 'experience' to beauty brands by expanding makeup expert demonstrations and personalized consultations.

A customer is receiving beauty services at the Make Up For Ever store in Lotte Department Store Main Branch.
[Photo by Lotte Department Store].

According to the distribution industry on the 3rd, Lotte Department Store's beauty product sales over the recent two weeks (March 17?30) increased by 20% compared to the same period last year. In particular, sales of color cosmetics such as lip products and blushers surged by 40%. Shinsegae Department Store and Hyundai Department Store also saw their cosmetics sales rise by 35.3% and 31.1%, respectively, last month.

While department stores have traditionally attracted visitors by promoting popular restaurants, this spring season?when people can freely move indoors and outdoors without masks?they are emphasizing beauty brands. This approach increases opportunities for customers to test whether products suit their skin type and style before repurchasing color cosmetics. On this day, Lotte Department Store opened an offline makeup reservation service called 'Beauty Salon' with 16 color cosmetics brands including MAC, Bobbi Brown, Make Up For Ever, NARS, Givenchy Beauty, Benefit, and Valentino Beauty. They provide free personalized consultations and makeup services segmented into skin expression, lip & cheek, and eyebrow categories.

Reservations can be made through the Lotte Department Store application (app), and the services will last about 20 minutes depending on the brand and service offered. During a pre-opening last month with three brands, the first 1,000 spots were filled within three days, showing strong popularity. Lotte Department Store stated, "We expect even greater response for the grand opening of this Beauty Salon, which can accommodate about 7,000 participants per month." Additionally, the main store newly established skincare rooms with five brands in September last year and January this year. Until the 9th, a 'Luxury Beauty Fair' featuring 12 high-end skincare brands such as Sisley, Decort?, Guerlain, and Cl? de Peau Beaut? is being held.

Shinsegae Department Store and Hyundai Department Store are also attracting customers to their stores through global beauty brand pop-up stores and makeup demonstrations by famous makeup artists. A distribution industry official said, "Spring is a season for significant changes in color makeup, and this year especially, with the first spring without masks, there is a strong demand for color makeup that had been suppressed. For the time being, department stores will expand various services such as demonstrations and consultations that can only be experienced through offline visits to increase visitors through beauty."

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