Retailer tailors formats to local markets, pledges continued investment outside Greater Seoul

Interior of the CJ Olive Young Millak the Market store [CJ Olive Young]
Interior of the CJ Olive Young Millak the Market store [CJ Olive Young]

CJ Olive Young announced Wednesday it is expanding its presence in Busan with two new stores tailored to the city's distinct commercial districts, as part of a broader push to establish regional hubs outside Greater Seoul.

The company relocated and expanded its Nampo Town store — the largest CJ Olive Young town-format store outside Greater Seoul — in Jung-gu's Nampo-dong on Friday, then opened a design-focused store at Millak the Market in Suyeong-gu's Millak-dong on Sunday.

Busan drew about 3.1 million foreign tourists last year, the highest of any city outside Seoul. In the first half of this year, that figure rose to about 2.42 million, up 43.9 percent from the same period a year earlier. Cruise passenger arrivals are projected to nearly quadruple this year, climbing from 257,000 in 2025 to 990,000.

The Nampo Town store traces its roots to 2008, when CJ Olive Young opened its first location outside Greater Seoul in Busan. The expanded store grows from a single-floor, 660-square-meter space to a four-story, 2,970-square-meter flagship. It is the first store outside Greater Seoul to station three beauty consultants offering skin analysis and personalized counseling, and features an "Advanced Derma Zone" and a "Mask Pack Library."

The Millak the Market store is built around the concept of a fictional vessel called "Ollyeong-ho" — imagined as a ship docked at Millak Port and loaded with seasonal K-beauty products — evoking the atmosphere of a harborside fish market. Nets, boat props and vintage posters carry the nautical theme throughout. Color cosmetics and food displays are arranged in a direct-market style with bulk box shelving. The store also marks the first time CJ Olive Young has installed freezer units, stocking snacks, ingestible beauty supplements and wellness items. It stays open until 11 p.m.

"Busan, where global tourists converge, is one of the key stages for driving K-beauty's expansion worldwide," a CJ Olive Young official said. "We will continue to innovate our offline stores by combining the unique appeal of each local market with customer data."

CJ Olive Young Nampo Town store [CJ Olive Young]
CJ Olive Young Nampo Town store [CJ Olive Young]

andy@heraldcorp.com