▲ Olive Young’s first U.S. store is operating in Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, on May 28, 2026. Photographed by Kim Kyung-yoon. (Yonhap)

 

PASADENA, California, May 29 (Yonhap) -- Familiar green signage, shelves lined with popular Korean cosmetics brands and even mini yakgwa snacks in the food section greeted visitors at Olive Young’s first U.S. store, set to officially open Friday local time in Pasadena near Los Angeles.

 

While the store closely resembles Olive Young outlets in South Korea in terms of layout and product selection, it also features several elements tailored to local American consumers.

 

The most notable difference is the heavier emphasis on skincare products.

 

Whereas Korean Olive Young stores typically allocate equal space to makeup and skincare, the Pasadena branch dedicates roughly 60 to 70 percent of its inventory to skincare items.

 

The company said the strategy reflects growing overseas demand for Korean skincare products such as toner pads and sheet masks.

 

Color cosmetics were also diversified to accommodate a broader range of skin tones.

 

Cushion foundations are available in shades ranging from No. 13 to No. 51 depending on the brand, while purple lip glosses -- uncommon in South Korea -- also stood out on display.

 

▲ A customer undergoes a skin scan at an Olive Young store in Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, on May 28, 2026. Photographed by Kim Kyung-yoon. (Yonhap)

 

The store carries around 500 brands and more than 5,000 products, including popular Korean labels, brands favored in North America and global cosmetics names.

 

Olive Young said product displays will be refreshed every two weeks to reflect rapidly changing K-beauty trends.

 

Another key feature is the large interactive zone placed at the center of the store.

 

Visitors can directly test cleansing products and toner pads at sink stations, while a skin-scan zone analyzes facial skin conditions such as moisture levels, pore size, dark circles, redness and skin temperature using imaging devices.

 

Customers can then move to “The Beauty Lab,” where they receive personalized skincare recommendations and product consultations based on the scan results.

 

“Our biggest differentiator is the wide range of interactive experience zones,” said Priscilla Kang, merchandising team leader at CJ Olive Young USA. “Customers can receive skin diagnoses, personalized skincare recommendations and even one-on-one skincare services lasting about 15 minutes.”

 

▲ Cushion foundations designed for various skin tones are displayed at Olive Young’s first U.S. store in Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California, on May 28, 2026. Photographed by Kim Kyung-yoon. (Yonhap)

 

Korean cosmetics companies also expressed expectations that the store will serve as a bridge connecting K-beauty brands directly with American consumers.

 

Kim Soon-won, chief executive officer of Mediheal, said the opening of Olive Young’s first U.S. store would become “an important milestone showing that K-beauty has moved beyond being a temporary trend to becoming an everyday consumer product for Americans.”

 

Yoon Hyun-chul, vice president of iFamilySC, which operates makeup brand Rom&nd, said Olive Young’s expertise in K-beauty would allow individual brand stories to be better communicated.

 

“In the past, even after entering the U.S. market, brands were often introduced simply as one of many within the broad category of K-beauty,” he said. “The biggest advantage now is that Olive Young truly understands K-beauty and can help communicate each brand’s unique identity.”

 

Starting with the Pasadena location, Olive Young plans to expand further across California.

 

The company has established a dedicated logistics center in Bloomington and plans to open additional stores in areas including Century City and Torrance in Los Angeles County.

 

It also aims to secure offline retail bases in major commercial districts in New York and the south-central United States.

 

Alongside the Pasadena opening, Olive Young launched its U.S. online mall. The company said it plans to encourage customers to test products in stores before repurchasing them online.

 

Leveraging its logistics center, Olive Young said it shortened delivery times to between 2.5 and 3.5 days and offers free shipping for orders above US$35.

 

An Olive Young official said the company’s U.S. business strategy focuses on “experiential retail that introduces authentic K-beauty to local consumers, not only Korean residents and international students,” adding that the company plans to target trend-sensitive younger consumers in major commercial districts.

 

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