Olive Young Partners With Sephora on Global K-Beauty Rollout

South Korea’s biggest beauty and wellness retailer, CJ Olive Young, is taking its K-beauty expertise global through a new strategic partnership with Sephora.

The collaboration will see Olive Young curate dedicated K-beauty zones for Sephora, both in-store and online. Designed and selected by Olive Young’s team, the concept draws on the retailer’s experience in trend-led curation, brand incubation, and data-informed merchandising — an approach that has helped shape Korea’s fast-moving beauty landscape over the past two decades.

The rollout is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026, with Olive Young–curated spaces opening in Sephora stores across the US and Canada, as well as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Hong Kong. Further expansion is planned for 2027, with additional markets set to include the Middle East, the UK, and Australia.

Founded in 1999, Olive Young now operates in over 1,390 stores and has become a central force in Korea’s beauty and wellness industry.

The retailer is widely recognised for identifying emerging brands early, supporting them through domestic growth, and helping scale those brands as international demand increases. The company is preparing to open its first standalone physical store in Los Angeles this May, marking its most direct retail entry into the US to date and reinforcing its shift from domestic leader to global operator.

“We are pleased to enter into this partnership with Sephora as we continue to advance our global expansion strategy,” said Youngah Lee, Chief Strategy Officer at CJ Olive Young. “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.”

“Korean beauty is one of the most innovative, fastest-growing and desirable categories in beauty right now,” said Priya Venkatesh, Global Chief Merchandising Officer at Sephora. “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. We are thrilled to partner with the leading team at Olive Young, bringing their expertly curated assortment of Korean beauty brands to our beauty fans, globally.”