Five words anyone who has visited the largest beauty retailer in Seoul will remember.
This is by design as the entire floor staff sound this off almost every 45 seconds, with a different member of the team opening before the chorus rings throughout the store.
There are over 1,300 Olive Young stores in South Korea with the majority in Seoul. If Sydney had the same store density as Seoul, there’d be roughly 200+ Olive Young stores across the city.
In Myeong-Dong where I stayed there were 3 stores within 150m of each other, which was mind blowing in itself. But what struck was that they didn’t seem to be cannibalizing the others’ business. If anything it was a master stroke of branding and convenience.
The stores vary from size, ranging from single shop fronts to 6 story market places. Whilst there are some differences in the physical layout the experience is almost universal. Premium, self service’ in an immaculately laid out store. That breaks down individual beauty regimes to an art form encouraging customers to purchase more.
Upon entry they hand you a large mesh canvas shopping bag which to my surprise most shoppers had filled with the best in Korean Beauty and skincare. Another sign post of what Olive Young knows about their consumer, they will be filling that bag.
Although the design is for consumers to be able to shop freely, staff are immediately on hand with detailed knowledge tailored to all beauty needs. (The irony is not lost on me as this is coming from a 35 year old male, who up until recently had a single step face wash).
The integration of technology into the stores is what really blew me away, as a mix of LED screens, immersive activations and product demonstrations feature on every level.
Each section from active skincare to facial masks, had clear partnered activations where consumers are enticed to try the products in unique and creative ways.
Products are bucketed by brand, beauty section and the problem they are solving. They are often incorporated as multiple steps with other brands’ ranges so that the routine or system isn’t always owned by the one brand.
Everything is so carefully thought out as you are guided into the different levels across the store, all the way through to the checkout. Every time I was there (6+ visits in total) I found myself amazed at the volume of products and brands featured, but it never felt cluttered or chaotic. Rather designed for maximum value for consumers to fill their canvas bags which other consumers can curiously compare.
Throughout the store in prize positioning are Olive Young’s ‘Global picks. Which if your brand lands one of these placements is the equivalent of striking oil! However this is not something that can be merely awarded, let alone paid for. This is almost the secret that sits behind this brand’s success. How they use data to identify what’s trending and which indie brands are about to breakout which they provide the platform to champion further. They become the cultural curator for many in APAC.
What brands in Australia can take from Olive Young, is that the detail is in the design and experience. This is something that rings true through the countries I visited. Appealing to the senses of sight, sound and touch is where the most impact is delivered. Brands like Medicube nailed this incredibly effectively in store.
Whilst I appreciate stores like Mecca and Sephora offer a similar experience here locally and in the case of Sephora around the globe. Olive Young is a platform in South Korea and growing to be an incubator of K-Beauty on the world stage. They have become the curators for what’s trending, backed by what’s happening in their stores which they can amplify. This gives them incredible brand power and cultural capital in a highly competitive beauty market.
