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Korean Beauty Brands: Overcoming COVID-19 Challenges



In the face of economic retaliation from China and the disruptive effects of COVID-19, many Korean cosmetic and beauty stores experienced severe crises. As customers increasingly shifted from in-store shopping to online purchases, these businesses faced considerable challenges. However, several beauty brands are making a comeback, demonstrating resilience amid these unprecedented challenges.


The Downfall and Revival of Major Korean Beauty Brands


Etude House, a leading brand under AmorePacific, has witnessed a substantial dip in profits since the onslaught of the crisis. However, these challenges have compelled the brand to devise new strategies, including reducing the number of physical stores, to mitigate losses.

On the other hand, Able C&C's Missha, the pioneering offline beauty store in Korea, has made a remarkable turnaround this year, hinting at a promising future. With multi-brand strategies and digital transformation at its core, Missha aims to return to full surplus by the end of the year.

Skin Food, a domestic cosmetics and beauty shop, also made an impressive comeback, posting a surplus for the first time in nine years.
Sale's graph of Skinfood 2022


However, not all beauty stores have been successful in their recovery attempts. Tonymoly, a popular cosmetics and beauty store known for its unique packaging, continues to grapple with losses.


Strategies for Turnaround: Targeting Smaller Chinese Cities and Dualizing Products


To enhance sales and turnaround, industry professionals recommend focusing on smaller Chinese cities as a part of the market strategy. This is due to the 'Guochao' trend, a movement that encourages the purchase of Chinese-made products.

Additionally, dualizing products for online and offline stores is gaining traction. As cosmetics stores face declining popularity due to their predictability, offering different products online and offline can provide a fresh shopping experience for customers.

SEO Optimized Meta Description: "Discover the resilience of Korean beauty brands amid COVID-19 and economic challenges, their strategies for revival, and the future of the Korean beauty industry."

SEO Optimized Meta Tags: "Korean Beauty Brands, COVID-19 Impact, Economic Challenges, Revival Strategies, Missha, Etude House, Skin Food, Tonymoly, Guochao Trend, Online Shopping, Offline Shopping"


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