Olive Young partners with Sephora on global K-beauty rollout!

Under the agreement, Olive Young will collaborate with the French beauty retailer to introduce dedicated K-beauty retail zones across Sephora’s online platform and physical stores.

South Korean beauty retailer Olive Young has formed a partnership with Sephora aimed at broadening the overseas presence of selected Korean beauty brands.  

Under the agreement, Olive Young will collaborate with the French beauty retailer to introduce dedicated K-beauty retail zones across Sephora’s online platform and physical stores.  

These spaces will be curated and overseen by Olive Young, drawing on its experience in brand development.

CJ Olive Young chief strategy officer Youngah Lee said: “We are pleased to enter into this partnership with Sephora as we continue to advance our global expansion strategy. As global interest in K-beauty continues to accelerate, we see this collaboration as a meaningful opportunity to work together in expanding the reach of Korean brands in key international markets.”  

The initial phase of the rollout is scheduled for the second half of the year.  

It will begin in Sephora locations across North America, including the US and Canada, alongside selected Asian markets such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong.

Additional markets are planned for a later stage, with expansion into the Middle East, the UK and Australia targeted for 2027.

The initiative is designed to offer Korean beauty brands a more structured route into international retail, while extending Olive Young’s footprint as a global retail platform.

Sephora global chief merchandising officer Priya Venkatesh added: “Korean beauty is one of the most innovative, fastest-growing and desirable categories in beauty right now. Sephora was the first major retailer to debut K-beauty brands to North American consumers in 2010, and our portfolio has grown to a global business.”

The partnership aligns with Olive Young’s wider international plans, which include the opening of its first physical store in Los Angeles, California, in May this year.

Last September, Sephora partnered with Uber Technologies to bring hundreds of its stores across the US and Canada onto the Uber Eats platform.

Customers can now arrange delivery of skincare, makeup, haircare, fragrance and wellness products.

Sephora was the first prestige beauty retailer to join Uber Eats.  

Source: Shubhendu Vimal - Retail Insights