CJ Olive Young, the powerhouse behind the global rise of K-Beauty, is officially moving into its next growth chapter — K-Wellness.
On January 29, CJ Olive Young opened the first flagship store of its new wellness platform “Olive Better” near Gwanghwamun Station in Seoul. From the moment visitors step inside, the difference is clear: shelves filled with fresh salads, protein shakes, high-protein meals, and wellness-focused foods — items rarely seen in traditional Olive Young stores.
From Beauty to Better Living
At a press conference held at Grand Seoul in Jongno, CJ Olive Young introduced Olive Better as a next-generation wellness lifestyle platform.
Lee Dong-geun, Head of New Growth Retail Business at CJ Olive Young, explained:
“Since launching in 1999 as Korea’s first drugstore, Olive Young has grown the health and beauty industry itself. Now, evolving ‘health’ into ‘wellness’ and helping people live healthier daily lives is something only Olive Young can truly do.”
Wellness as a Daily Routine, Not a Concept
Olive Better defines wellness as “the joy of becoming better every day.”
Rather than treating wellness as an abstract ideal, the brand focuses on practical, repeatable routines that fit naturally into everyday life.
The choice of Gwanghwamun for the first store was strategic — an area dense with office workers, gyms, yoga studios, and wellness-focused consumers. A second store is scheduled to open near Gangnam Station later this year.
Inside the Olive Better Store
The two-story flagship spans approximately 430㎡ (130 pyeong):
- 1st Floor
- Fresh salads & high-protein ready meals
- Protein powders & functional nutrition
- Health supplements designed for busy lifestyles
- 2nd Floor
- Inner beauty, slimming & sleep-beauty products
- Energy gels & aromatherapy items
- Tea tasting experience zones for hands-on wellness discovery
Why Wellness, and Why Now?
According to CJ Olive Young, over the past decade:
- Wellness sales surged 864%
- Number of wellness customers increased 507%
Lee noted that despite growing interest, Korea still lacks a fully integrated wellness platform, making it hard for consumers to maintain consistent wellness habits.
How Olive Better Is Different from Olive Young
While Olive Young excels at trend-driven beauty curation, Olive Better focuses on:
- “Healthy eating” as the core of wellness
- A broader target audience: men and women aged 25–45
- A lifestyle-oriented approach rather than product-led trends
Building the Global K-Wellness Playbook
CJ Olive Young’s long-term goal is clear:
just as K-Beauty transformed Korean skincare routines into a global cultural phenomenon, K-Wellness aims to showcase how Koreans practice wellness in everyday life — from food and sleep to fitness and self-care.
KOREA FBI Editor’s Comment
K-Beauty taught the world how Koreans care for their skin.
K-Wellness may teach the world how Koreans care for their lives.With Olive Better, CJ Olive Young isn’t just opening a new store — it’s exporting a lifestyle. The next global trend may not be about looking better, but about living better.
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