Popular 'Eco-Friendly Brands' Available at Gwangju Shinsegae

Eco-friendly Materials and Marketing: 'Aesop' and 'VEJA'

Gwangju Shinsegae Co., Ltd. (CEO Lee Dong-hoon) is gaining popularity with its eco-friendly brands.

Recently, brands actively engaged in eco-friendly activities, such as leading recycling efforts to protect the environment, have been receiving attention. With regulations emerging in countries including Europe to prevent greenwashing, corporate eco-friendly activities are expected to become even more prominent.

Gwangju Shinsegae Aesop, located on the 2nd floor of the main building, is recognized as a brand fulfilling corporate social responsibility by leading the use of recycled packaging.

Aesop, which produces a variety of products including its main focus on skin care, hand creams, and body washes, is symbolized by its amber bottles. Unlike other brands that attract customers with flashy designs, Aesop uses similarly shaped amber bottles with simple labels containing only the product name and usage instructions. Moreover, the brand continuously strives to find improvements in store interior design and ingredient sourcing to minimize environmental impact.

The containers mainly use glass, which is easy to recycle, and for body cleansers or shampoos, plastics containing recycled materials are used for safety. Nevertheless, Aesop does not describe its business as ‘eco-friendly’ because it acknowledges that despite efforts, it still has an impact.

Thanks to this approach, the small brand that started in Melbourne, Australia in 1987 has grown into a brand with over 200 stores in more than 20 countries worldwide. Popular gift items include hand wash and hand balm products, as well as home fragrances and unconventional aromatic fragrances that are well-loved.

At Gwangju Shinsegae Aesop, steady visits continue during graduation, entrance, and gift seasons. The most popular product at Aesop Shinsegae Gwangju is the Resurrection Aromatic Hand Balm (75ml), available for 39,000 KRW. The Resurrection Hand Wash (500ml) and Geranium Body Cleanser (500ml), popular as housewarming gifts, are sold for 53,000 KRW and 59,000 KRW respectively.

Veja, located on the basement level 1 of the new building at Gwangju Shinsegae, is also known as a brand that considers the environment throughout the production process, from sourcing materials to manufacturing. Derived from the Brazilian word meaning ‘to look,’ Veja started in France in 2004.

Veja makes shoe soles from wild natural rubber harvested in Brazil. Instead of cutting down trees to obtain the material, they make incisions to collect the flowing rubber sap. The fabric used in shoe production is cotton grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

As a result, it is known that Veja pays more than twice the cost compared to other brands. A unique aspect is that all these processes are disclosed on their website. From contracts for materials to wages paid to employees, everything is transparently shared with customers, yet they do not engage in advertising marketing.

The representative model, the sneakers Esplar, reflects Veja’s spirit of not marketing itself, featuring a plain appearance with only a ‘V logo’ on the white leather exterior to indicate the brand. However, customers have shown great interest in the brand’s commitment to eco-friendliness. It gained recognition as domestic and international celebrities, including Emma Watson from the movie ‘Harry Potter,’ wore them, and in 2022, it achieved sales of approximately 360 billion KRW in 60 countries worldwide.

The most popular item at Gwangju Shinsegae is the Veja Campo Sneakers (228,000 KRW). They are highly rated for their comfortable fit and understated design, which pairs well with both casual and semi-formal attire.

Kim Eun-seok, head of the luxury accessories team, said, “As interest in the environment grows, brands actively engaged in eco-friendly activities such as Aesop and Veja are consistently gaining attention from consumers. We will continue to actively discover and introduce brands that fulfill social responsibilities to our customers at Gwangju Shinsegae.”

Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shin Dong-ho yjm3070@asiae.co.kr

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