"Nine Out of Ten Customers Are Foreigners"... CHICOR Myeongdong and Hongdae Stores Double Sales

Sales Performance Doubles Within Four Months of Opening

Beauty Devices and Makeup Experience Services in High Demand

Expansion to New Locations Such as Seongsu and Anguk Under Review

The proportion of foreign sales at 'CHICOR,' the beauty select shop operated by Shinsegae Department Store, is on the rise.

According to Shinsegae Department Store on May 19, sales at CHICOR’s Myeongdong and Hongdae stores, which opened in December last year, have nearly doubled within just four months of opening. Notably, as of April, the proportion of foreign sales reached 90.2% at the Myeongdong store and 91% at the Hongdae store, indicating that foreign customers have been driving the sharp sales growth.

Foreign customers shopping at the Sephora Myeongdong branch. Shinsegae Department Store

From the outset, the Myeongdong and Hongdae stores significantly expanded their lineup of K-beauty brands favored by overseas tourists. They also strategically strengthened their range of ‘beauty device’ products, which have recently been attracting increased interest from foreign visitors. While Korea’s skincare and homecare markets are highly developed—making a wide variety of beauty devices easily accessible in daily life—overseas markets tend to have less advanced skincare infrastructure and higher prices. As a result, there is consistent demand from tourists to purchase these products in bulk during visits to Korea. CHICOR has actively differentiated itself by expanding its lineup of beauty device products, which are rarely found at other domestic beauty select shops. In fact, sales of both skincare and beauty device categories at the Myeongdong and Hongdae stores more than doubled, increasing by 2.5 times or more in April compared to January.

The makeup experience service is also attracting foreign customers. At CHICOR, professional makeup artists with licenses are stationed at the stores, offering color consultations, touch-up services, and personalized product recommendations. The stores also operate the ‘Lip & Cheek Bar,’ where customers can freely test popular makeup brands, further boosting demand for experiential shopping. Currently, an average of 20 to 30 customers use the makeup services each day at the Myeongdong and Hongdae stores, with the majority being foreign visitors particularly interested in K-makeup. Additionally, specialized staff who can assist in English, Chinese, and Japanese are on hand to enhance convenience for international customers.

Building on this growth trend, Shinsegae Department Store is actively considering opening new locations in prime commercial districts with high demand from foreign tourists. Following Myeongdong and Hongdae, the company is reviewing the possibility of opening new stores in areas such as Seongsu and Anguk, which are also popular with global tourists, with the aim of further strengthening the competitiveness of its K-beauty offerings.

A representative from Shinsegae Department Store commented, "Recently, both domestic and international customers want to experience not just the purchase of products, but also K-beauty trends, lifestyle, and professional beauty services firsthand. CHICOR will continue to discover differentiated brands and services to grow as the leading 'K-beauty destination' for global customers."

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