At 6 p.m., local time on the 19th, the three Korean letters spelling “AMUSE” were clearly visible at the grand entrance of Galeries Lafayette’s Champs-Élysées branch, a 132-year-old French department store renowned for its high entry threshold. From the entrance to the central atrium, the space was entirely adorned in AMUSE’s peach hue.
Shinsegae International announced that its vegan cosmetics brand ‘AMUSE’ will open its first popup store, a temporary store, in Europe at the Champs-Élysées branch of Galeries Lafayette in France until the 13th of next month. The following day after the successful opening event, local interest remained significant. Visitors entering the department store initially appeared bewildered by the sudden “peach-colored spectacle,” but upon being guided by staff to “take a look,” they naturally approached the cosmetic displays.
Themed “PEACH glow, SEOUL,” the popup combined Seoul’s trendy and healthy peach-colored energy with Parisian sensibilities. One local woman smiled and said, “It’s surprising that this is the Seoul style.” Visitors carrying pink bags inscribed with “AMUSE” could be seen moving around the department store.
In France, the birthplace of cosmetics, interest in Korean cosmetics and “K-beauty” has recently surged. It is known that Lafayette, famous for its strict brand selection criteria, first proposed the popup store’s opening—a case considered unusual in France. A source from the department store said, “The AMUSE store is likely to be the best popup ever.”
AMUSE plans to accelerate its expansion in the European market this year, starting with this popup. It aims to open regular stores at the Osman main branch and Champs-Élysées branch of Galeries Lafayette and actively explore new markets in Europe and the Middle East.
AMUSE is currently present in 24 countries worldwide. Starting with Japan in 2019, it rapidly expanded to Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. Last year, AMUSE’s global retail sales grew by over 100% compared to the same period the previous year, with particularly notable growth in the European market, which it newly entered in the second half of the same year.
An AMUSE official said, “Europe is the most important core strategic market that will drive brand growth this year,” adding, “Through this popup, taking place in a symbolic space in France, we will solidify our image as a leading K-beauty brand and expand our influence across Europe.”
CEO Lee Seung-min, 41, dubbed the “Midas touch” of K-beauty, is the first female and youngest CEO in Shinsegae Group’s history. Since taking the helm at AMUSE in 2021, he has been the driving force behind growing the brand’s sales from startup-level revenue of 200 million Korean won to over 5 billion Korean won. He majored in business administration and advertising and public relations at Yonsei University and has worked at KT, Chanel, and L’Oréal, among others.
월 5900원 멤버십, 신문 독자에게는 2900원, 조선멤버십
55000원 상당의 신문-잡지 8종 마음껏 보기, 조선멤버십
현금처럼 쓸 7000포인트 받아 알뜰한 쇼핑, 조선멤버십
Bahran Hariz adalah seorang penulis di Media Online IKABARI.
