K-beauty brand Rockiss is reaping the benefits of joining global e-commerce platform Temu. While its skincare line had already built a solid sales base on the back of loyal customers, the makeup line — which had struggled to expand — has seen its share of total sales grow from roughly 10 percent to about 50 percent since the listing.
Temu breaks through the 'skincare-only' perception barrier
Since joining Temu last July, Rockiss has sold 56,000 makeup products through the platform alone, according to industry sources Friday. Eyeliners, cushion foundations and lip tints have driven earnings growth, emerging as a new cash cow for the brand. Makeup had accounted for roughly 10 percent of total sales across existing retail channels; after the Temu listing, that share has grown to about half.
Founded in 2017, Rockiss built its reputation among women in their 30s and 40s — a demographic with high repurchase rates — through skincare, peeling gels and cleansers. The color cosmetics lineup it launched in late 2023, however, struggled out of the gate, weighed down by the brand's firmly established image as a skincare specialist.
Rockiss ran targeted ads on existing platforms to shift consumer perception toward makeup, but the results fell short of expectations. Color cosmetics are highly dependent on a user's skin tone, and without a sufficient base of reviews, customers faced a real barrier to trying Rockiss's new makeup products.
"Just because customers are satisfied with our skincare products doesn't mean they immediately go out and buy our makeup," said Jung Yun-ju, CEO of Rockiss. "There was a clear gap between 'I use this brand's skincare' and 'I should try their makeup too.'"
Joining Temu was what allowed the brand — run by a team of roughly 10 people with a limited marketing budget — to break through that barrier, successfully reaching new customers it had previously struggled to attract. "It was a period when my frustration over the makeup line was deepening, but after listing on Temu, I could clearly see that the potential of this market was something else entirely," Jung said.
The key lies in Temu's distinctive shopping environment. Users tend to browse the app and discover new products rather than searching for specific items, and they are generally open to trying unfamiliar brands. That dynamic gave Rockiss natural exposure to consumers who had never heard of the brand — or knew it only for skincare — without requiring heavy advertising spend. "Thanks to these consumer traits, we were able to generate early traction faster than on any other channel," Jung said.
Temu shoppers left reviews immediately after trying the products, and the positive word of mouth created a virtuous cycle that drove further purchases. One eyeliner sold a cumulative 17,000 units, making it the brand's bestseller on the platform. Temu's free delivery policy also encouraged shoppers to add makeup items to their carts alongside other purchases, boosting cross-selling.
Temu's local seller program delivers results; global expansion next
A growing number of South Korean small and medium-sized enterprises are broadening their sales channels through Temu's local seller program, which the platform introduced in South Korea last year. San-gwa-Deul-e, a nut manufacturer based in Gyeonggi Province, found a new revenue stream by winning over foreign residents in Korea, while lifestyle brand Saenghwal Baekseo successfully introduced its relaunched products to younger consumers.
Temu's system lets sellers manage pricing and promotions directly and make changes on the fly, which also proved valuable. On conventional retail channels, modifying a discount campaign midway through is cumbersome. "When stock suddenly runs out or an issue comes up, we can respond immediately," Jung said. "Being able to minimize lost opportunities through quick action is a major advantage for any seller."
Buoyed by strong sales of its eyeliner and other flagship products, Rockiss saw its monthly sales on Temu surge roughly tenfold in March compared with the previous month, and the brand has set a new monthly sales record every month since. With both new and returning customers coming in at the same time, Temu has quickly become one of Rockiss's top five sales channels.
Having successfully found new customers through Temu's discovery-driven ecosystem in the domestic market, Rockiss is now working through the certification process — including CPNP compliance — required to enter European and other global markets via the platform. "Our ultimate goal is to use Temu as a springboard into global markets," Jung said. "We plan to leverage the platform's global network to expand overseas and develop localized products tailored to each country's market."
spa@heraldcorp.com
