K-Beauty Expands Into Europe Amid Western Sales Surge
The core of the overseas business of domestic beauty companies is rapidly expanding from China and duty-free channels to North America, and now to Europe.According to the industry on August 12, APR’s North American sales in the second quarter of this year surged by 264.6% compared to the same period
The Korean cosmetics industry, known as K-Beauty, is rapidly expanding its reach into Europe as Western sales soar. According to industry reports, APR's sales in North America surged by a staggering 264.6% in the second quarter of the year, reaching 376.3 billion won ($289.46 million) compared to the previous year. Similarly, the company's sales in the Americas grew by 56.5% to 210.4 billion won ($161.85 million) during the same period.
Meanwhile, LG Household & Health Care reported a 47.3% increase in its North American sales, reaching 205.8 billion won ($158.31 million), marking a milestone as it surpassed its Chinese sales for the first time since its spin-off.
Companies are now channeling the brand awareness they've built online into brick-and-mortar stores. In the United States, LG Household & Health Care's premium scalp care brand Dr. Groot is making its way into Sephora stores as a result of last year's entry into Costco. APR has also expanded its presence in major retailers like Target and Walmart, with plans to enter Costco during the latter half of the year.
Amorepacific has taken a strategic approach to growth by diversifying its brand portfolio. Aestura's 'Atobarrier 365 Cream' saw a triple-digit increase in sales on Amazon and Sephora, while COSRX reported strong sales of its RX line, focusing on Amazon and TikTok Shop. Innisfree is also driving growth in both online and offline channels, with sunscreen products leading the charge.
The success in North America is now making waves in Europe. APR's European sales in the second quarter jumped by 380.3% year-over-year, reaching 145.1 billion won ($111.62 million). The company has now begun to treat its European performance as a separate region, starting with this quarter. This expansion has resulted in the North American and European sales contributing to 68% of the total sales.
Amorepacific's European sales also increased by 63.3% to 72 billion won ($55.38 million) in the EMEA region, with COSRX's sunscreen products topping the German Amazon beauty category. To further boost brand awareness, Amorepacific plans to enter the Northern European retailer KICKS and strengthen its collaboration with Sephora, while enhancing local marketing efforts for Laneige and Innisfree.
An industry expert believes that successfully transitioning from online to offline retail networks, such as Sephora and Walmart, after establishing brand awareness online, has become a key growth strategy for K-Beauty.
Written by urgent.news from BusinessKorea's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
