South Korean retail channels are accelerating their push into cost-effective beauty products. Convenience store chain CU is collaborating with external brands to broaden its product range, while home shopping channel GS Shop is revamping its private brand to attract younger consumers. BGF Retail, which operates CU, announced on May 27 that it will expand its value color cosmetics lineup in partnership with domestic beauty brand Tony Moly. CU will pre-launch nine new Tony Moly lip makeup products exclusively at around 400 of its own beauty-specialized stores, with a nationwide rollout planned for next month. CU's beauty sales rose 20.9% year-on-year in 2024, and color cosmetics demand has been particularly strong in 2025. From January to May 2025, CU's color cosmetics sales surged 189.9% compared to the same period last year. Currently, 70% of CU's beauty sales come from consumers in their teens and twenties. The new products from CU and Tony Moly include lip tints, lip oil glosses, and blurry cheeks, which are trending among the 1020 generation. The products maintain the same volume but are priced at half the cost, under 9,000 won. CU is also launching an exclusive mini version of the Super Thin Pen Eyeliner from makeup brand Merrymond. The size is reduced to two-thirds of the original while keeping the same volume. Choi Min-ji, beauty product manager at BGF Retail's Beauty TFT, said: "As convenience stores become contact points for beauty brands with the Z and Alpha generations, fast product launches and differentiated product operations are becoming key competitive points. CU will continue to expand beauty-specialized convenience stores, focusing on middle and high schools, academy districts, and tourist areas, and actively develop trendy differentiated beauty products."
At GS Shop, the home shopping channel is strengthening product competitiveness by revamping its private brand 'View'. Over the past five months, the company gathered feedback from 500 'View customer supporters'. Amid high inflation, demand for practical beauty products with lower price burdens is growing, so the revamp focuses on affordable basic skincare items. The new View products include: View Pearl Glow Tone-Up Sun Cream, View Yuja Melatonizing Serum, and View Hyal Spa Moisture Cream. The new products will be unveiled on the GS Shop mobile app on May 28 with a one-day maximum discount event. To commemorate the brand revamp, all products will be offered at up to 72% off, priced under 10,000 won each. Shin Myeong-seop, beauty development team MD at GS Shop, said: "We carried out this View renewal to offer customers the cosmetics they use most frequently in daily life at reasonable prices. By expanding our private brand into the beauty category, we will strengthen GS Shop's exclusive product competitiveness."
Source: Read the original report | Published: May 27, 2026