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| yna@yna.co.kr 2026-06-22 14:26:24
SEOUL, June 22 (Yonhap) -- Retailers are expanding sales of ultra-low-priced makeup products priced between the 3,000-won and 4,900-won range as consumers increasingly seek affordable beauty items amid persistently high inflation.
The trend comes as Daiso's low-cost cosmetics have gained popularity, prompting convenience stores and hypermarkets to strengthen their value-for-money beauty offerings.
According to the retail industry, Daiso's beauty sales rose about 30 percent in the January-May period from a year earlier. The growth was driven by the popularity of the "JUNG SAEM MOOL x Daiso" line, developed in collaboration with renowned makeup artist Jung Saem-mool, including a 5,000-won cushion foundation launched in January.
Convenience store chains have responded by rolling out more budget-friendly products.
CU has expanded the number of its beauty-focused stores, which carry around 80 skincare and color cosmetics products, to about 600 locations nationwide. These stores offer more than 2.5 times as many cosmetic items as regular outlets.
The chain has also introduced kiosks that allow customers to create customized cosmetics for 5,000 won at stores in areas popular with young working women, such as Daechi-dong, Euljiro and Yeonnam-dong. More recently, it launched lip products priced in the 6,000-won range in collaboration with domestic cosmetics brand TonyMoly, targeting consumers in their 30s.
CU's beauty category sales increased 31.1 percent in the first five months of this year from the same period last year.
GS25 is also nurturing its beauty business with products priced uniformly at 3,000 won.
The convenience store chain has partnered with well-known domestic brands, including Son & Park, Musinsa, Manyo Factory and Madeca21, to offer small-sized, cost-effective beauty products.
As of June 1-17, average daily sales of small-sized beauty items surged 596.7 percent from December 2024, when the lineup was first introduced.
Hypermarkets have also strengthened their value beauty lineups.
Emart launched "Glow Up by Beyond," a cosmetics brand with products priced at 4,900 won, while Lotte Mart operates a dedicated "value beauty zone" offering beauty products at the same price point.
Industry officials said the strategies, featuring products priced at 3,000 won and 4,900 won, are aimed at competing with Daiso, which has built its beauty business around products priced below 5,000 won.
"A trend is spreading in which consumers seek products that offer performance comparable to premium beauty items but at lower prices through smaller packaging," an industry official said. "Specialized beauty sections where shoppers can discover cosmetics while purchasing other goods are expected to become one of the new channels for buying beauty products."
jwc@yna.co.kr
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