What: Olive Young, South Korea’s leading beauty retailer, is launching its first US stores in Los Angeles in May 2026, directly challenging Sephora and Ulta Beauty with its K-beauty-focused model.

Why it is important: This expansion signals intensifying global competition in beauty retail, echoing recent moves by major players to capture the growing K-beauty market.

Olive Young, the dominant beauty retailer in South Korea, is set to open its first US stores in Los Angeles’ Pasadena and Century City neighborhoods in May 2026. Known for its rapid trend forecasting, accessible price points, and a wide assortment of K-beauty brands, Olive Young has outperformed competitors at home, including Sephora, which exited the Korean market in 2024. The retailer’s unique approach—combining a playful in-store experience, a diverse product mix, and aggressive promotional tactics—has made it a favorite among both local and international consumers. As Olive Young enters the US, it will compete directly with established giants Sephora and Ulta Beauty, both of which have recently expanded their K-beauty offerings and accelerated their digital and experiential strategies. While Olive Young’s price competitiveness may be challenged by tariffs, its ability to quickly adapt to trends and leverage influencer-driven engagement positions it as a formidable new player in the American beauty landscape. 

IADS Notes: Olive Young’s US launch exemplifies the international expansion strategies seen among Korean retailers, as reported in “Shinsegae launches K-beauty pop-up store at Paris Printemps for 160th anniversary” (The Chosun Daily, June 2025) and “How China-US rivalry reshaped South Korea’s beauty industry” (The Diplomat, May 2025). The intensifying competition with Sephora and Ulta Beauty is reflected in “Ulta Beauty launches marketplace” (BoF, October 2025) and “Why Ulta Beauty Scales Internationally with Space NK” (The Robin Report, July 2025). Olive Young’s focus on trend forecasting and experiential merchandising aligns with insights from “What 350 retailers say about the future of merchandising” (BCG, May 2025) and “The rise of the consumer visionary merchant” (Forbes, August 2025), while its influencer and omnichannel strategies are echoed in “The Mall Group wins the 'Best Retail Influencer Campaign' award” (Press Release, October 2025) and “Unconventional experiential retail strategies are expanding fast” (The Robin Report, January 2025).

Olive Young beats Sephora in Korea, coming to the US