CJ Olive Young Opens Pasadena Store in the U.S., Fueling K-beauty Craze with Three Straight Days of Open-Run Crowds
CJ OLIVEYOUNG
A 400-meter line formed on the first day of opening.
CJ Olive Young opened its first offline store in the United States on May 29 in Pasadena, California. Even before the opening, an open-run line had already formed. On the first day, visitors created a queue stretching about 400 meters across four blocks along Colorado Boulevard, where the store is located.
KTLA, Los Angeles' leading broadcaster, sent a live truck as early as 7 a.m., four hours before the opening, and covered the scene five times at hourly intervals. ABC reported from the site with helicopter footage, while major outlets including CNN and The Wall Street Journal also conducted on-site coverage.
The continued lines on May 30 and 31 confirmed local interest.
The Olive Young Pasadena store continued to draw crowds on May 30 and 31, with lines forming throughout the day. For safety and shopping convenience, the store limited entry to about 200 people at a time, and both the entry line and checkout line continued until closing.
The opening event was attended by key local figures, including Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo and city council members Steve Madison and Tyron Hampton. Mayor Gordo said, "Olive Young's investment will not only create new jobs and economic vitality, but also serve as an opportunity to enhance the city's diversity and global competitiveness."
Customer attention centered on Skin Scan and The Beauty Lab.
The most crowded areas for local shoppers were the Skin Scan zone, which offers skin diagnosis services, and The Beauty Lab, which provides basic skincare lessons such as K-beauty routines based on skin analysis results. U.S. consumers showed strong interest in the personalized shopping experience, which offers skin moisture, oil, pore analysis, product recommendations, and consultations all in one place.
By category, basic cosmetics such as skincare, sun care, sheet masks, and cleansing products accounted for more than 60% of total sales. Makeup categories such as lip products and cushion compacts followed, while hair care, body care, beauty accessories, and K-wellness items such as bagel chips and sauces also sold steadily.
More than 8 million views on social media.
From May 28 to 30, more than 1,000 pieces of content were uploaded to TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms, generating a combined total of more than 8 million views. Positive reactions poured in as users shared good memories from Olive Young stores in Korea and posted Olive Young shopping haul content.
Michael Rodriguez, who said he drove two and a half hours from San Diego and lined up from 3 a.m., expressed satisfaction, saying, "It felt less like I came here to shop and more like I was at Disneyland." Beauty influencer Eva Pearl described it as "a symbolic moment that shows K-beauty is expanding into a global culture, beyond simply opening a first U.S. store."
An additional store is scheduled to open in Century City, Los Angeles, this month.
Olive Young will open another store this month at Westfield Century City, a major premium shopping mall in Los Angeles. Century City is a key commercial district in LA, with strong traffic from young professionals, high-income consumers, and global tourists.
According to market research firm Circana, K-beauty's share of the U.S. mass beauty market was about 6% in the first quarter of 2026. Lee Sun-jung, CEO of Olive Young, said, "We now want to go beyond meeting global customers who visit Korea to find Olive Young. Olive Young will directly enter key markets around the world and become part of local consumers' everyday lives."
Q1. What free skin diagnosis service is offered at U.S. K-beauty stores?
The Olive Young Pasadena store offers free skin analysis at the Skin Scan zone, including moisture, oil, and pore assessments. At The Beauty Lab, customers receive basic skincare lessons based on the analysis results, including K-beauty routines, product recommendations, and consultations all in one place.
Q2. Which company has successfully implemented a K-beauty localization strategy in the United States?
After CJ Olive Young opened its Pasadena store on May 29, it recorded three consecutive days of lines and more than 8 million social media views. Local employees staged a performance set to Rosé's "APT.", while Korean-style greetings and shopper bag giveaways helped carry out the localization strategy.
Q3. Which K-beauty retailer is entering a premium shopping mall in Los Angeles?
Olive Young will open its Century City store this month at Westfield Century City, one of Los Angeles' leading premium shopping malls. In this key LA commercial district, where young professionals, high-income consumers, and global tourists are active, the company aims to expand its reach to a broader premium customer base and more global shoppers.
This content was prepared by MaeKyung Biz Content Planning Team based on official announcements and press releases.
