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A map showing the locations of CJ Olive Young's stores in the United States. /Courtesy of CJ Olive Young

CJ Olive Young plans to open five additional stores in the United States by the first half of next year, bringing its total to seven.

The company aims to expand its local retail network across major shopping districts in California and support small and independent Korean beauty brands seeking to enter the U.S. market.

CJ Olive Young announced Monday that it would open new stores in the Greater Los Angeles area and San Diego, California.

Los Angeles is considered a major fashion and cultural hub on the U.S. West Coast, while San Diego is a key Southern California city with strong tourism and shopping demand.

By targeting major retail districts in both areas, Olive Young plans to reach more local consumers.

In the Greater Los Angeles area, the company will open stores at Irvine Spectrum Center, a lifestyle shopping destination in Irvine; Del Amo Fashion Center in the South Bay area; Bloom on 3rd, a mixed-use shopping complex near the Original Farmers Market in central Los Angeles; and Brea Mall in Orange County.

In San Diego, Olive Young will open a store at Fashion Valley, a premium shopping mall. 

Three of the five new locations — Del Amo Fashion Center, Brea Mall and Fashion Valley — are operated by Simon Property Group, a major U.S. shopping mall operator.

Olive Young plans to raise brand awareness by establishing a presence in high-traffic shopping malls and eventually expand into other major cities across Southern California.

The company also intends to use its U.S. stores as a platform to help small and independent Korean beauty brands enter the local market.

It plans to give emerging brands that lack their own distribution networks and brand recognition opportunities to reach American consumers, while introducing a wide range of K-beauty products, including sunscreen sticks, sun cushions and toner pads.

Olive Young also offers its Skin Scan service at its U.S. stores.

The service allows customers to assess their skin condition and receive personalized recommendations for K-beauty products and skincare routines based on their individual concerns.

According to Olive Young, approximately 27,000 customers had used Skin Scan over a period of about five months as of the end of October. 

"Our U.S. stores serve as a bridge to introduce the strengths of K-beauty to local consumers and help emerging brands establish a foothold in the mainstream market," an Olive Young official said.

"We will work with our brand partners to build a foundation for sustainable growth so that K-beauty can move beyond a passing trend and become an established part of the global beauty mainstream."

                                                                                                           Kang Hye-won