Musinsa Beauty has opened its first standalone offline store in Seoul’s Hongdae district.
Although it is a beauty store operated by a fashion platform, a pharmacy occupies the basement, while color cosmetics and fragrance brands are placed on the 1st floor.
It remains to be seen whether this setup, intended to become a space for discovering new brands beyond simply selling products, will lead to actual purchasing decisions.
3-Line Summary
1. Musinsa Beauty Hongdae opened on September 11
2. It houses a pharmacy and beauty brands across 4 floors
3. Pharmacy benefits are separate from Musinsa membership
From the Basement Pharmacy to the 3rd Floor, the Store Covers 400 Pyeong
On September 11, Musinsa Beauty officially opened Musinsa Beauty Hongdae, its first standalone offline store, near Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul. According to Maeil Business Newspaper Health, it spans 4 floors from basement level 1 to the 3rd floor above ground, covering 1262㎡ (approximately 400 pyeong), and presents around 870 brands and more than 12,000 products.
The biggest difference is Beauty Onnuri Pharmacy on basement level 1. In a space of approximately 176㎡ (about 53 pyeong), it operates around 270 brands and more than 2000 products, combining product sections organized by skin concern with one-on-one consultations with pharmacists. Musinsa Beauty introduced this approach of recommending high-performance cosmetics and inner-beauty products based on pharmacy expertise as “pharmacy beauty.”
However, this pharmacy operates with a payment system separate from Musinsa. According to Yaksa Gongron, Musinsa promotions and member benefits do not apply, and no plans have been finalized for separate jointly developed private-brand products. Visitors should confirm in advance that the presence of a pharmacy does not mean Musinsa discounts will also apply.
Indie Brands and Chinese Color Cosmetics Brands Were Placed Together at the Forefront
Approximately 70% of the brands on the above-ground floors consist of indie brands. The 2nd floor features skincare-focused products along with hair, body, men’s, and dental-care products, while the 1st floor features makeup and fragrance products. The store also includes a ranking area introducing popular products based on online sales data and a section introducing new ingredients and new brands.
Maeil Business Newspaper Health reported that the Chinese beauty brands INTO YOU and AZTK entered the store for the first time in Korea. BizWatch interpreted Musinsa’s bringing these brands into its offline store following Flower Knows as an attempt to differentiate itself from existing K-beauty-focused stores. However, “differentiation” and future performance are assessments and outlooks from the company and industry, not facts confirmed by the store’s operating results.
Musinsa Beauty plans to pursue connections between fashion and beauty customers, pharmacy beauty, and the development of brands both online and offline based on the Hongdae store. The key to this store lies less in the number of products itself than in how much of an experience distinct from a fashion store it has created. Whether pharmacist consultations, spaces for trying products directly, and new-brand offerings work together in one location is likely to determine the store’s character.
The Offline Presence of Brands Including Neuraderm Has Also Expanded
Medictos’s derma-cosmetics brand Neuraderm entered Musinsa Beauty Hongdae and introduced 5 products, including ampoules, essences, creams, mists, and sunscreen. The company said it had expanded its offline sales touchpoints following its August entry into the Musinsa and 29CM online stores.
For brands, this creates an opportunity to show products directly through a large specialized store. For consumers, it has become possible to compare indie, derma, and color cosmetics brands whose names they had previously seen only online in one place. However, it is safer to consider product labeling and pharmacist consultation together rather than judging the function or individual suitability of a particular product based solely on the store’s arrangement.
References
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