Market research brief · 10 November 2026

Olive Young in France

The French beauty market, the K-beauty competition in Paris, Olive Young’s position and the EU rules, and what it all means for our K-Beauty Discovery Lab proposal.

Verified: we read the sourceReported: secondary sourceDerived: calculated by us
+71.5%

Korean cosmetics exports to France in 2025, reaching $134M

VerifiedKorea MFDS
₩5.83T

Olive Young 2025 revenue (≈ $4.2B), up 21.8% year on year

VerifiedSeoul Economic Daily
7.8

skincare products used regularly by French women aged 15–25

VerifiedSuperga × Appinio
80+

Korean brands at Moida’s Champs-Élysées store, with skin diagnosis

VerifiedParis ZigZag

Key takeaways

  1. Demand is real and fast. K-beauty exports to France grew 71.5% in one year.
  2. Paris is not empty. Sephora, Galeries Lafayette, Monoprix and K-beauty shops already sell Korean brands.
  3. Skin diagnosis is not unique. Moida offers it on the Champs-Élysées since summer 2026.
  4. Olive Young’s edge is its own brands and curation, not “K-beauty” in general.
  5. No French presence yet. The Sephora deal covers the US, Asia and the UK (2027), not France.
  6. EU rules matter: safety assessment, CPNP, French labels, EU-approved sunscreen filters.
01 · French market

The home of beauty, under pressure

France is the world’s largest cosmetics exporter, but its growth stalled in 2025 while Korean exports, especially to France, accelerated.

Export growth in 2025

Year-on-year change in cosmetics exports

France, all exports −0.1% Korea, all exports +12.2% Korea → France +71.5% VerifiedKorea → France: MFDS ReportedFrance: FEBEA; Korea total: sources range 11.8–12.3%

Korean cosmetics exports to France

US$ millions

100500 ≈ 78 134 20242025 Verified2025: MFDS via Korea Biomedical Review Derived2024 = 134 ÷ 1.715

French cosmetics sector, 2025

€35.6B total turnover, of which exports

Exports €22.4B · 63% Other €13.2B 0€35.6B Exports fell 0.1% in 2025, mainly due to US tariffs (−19% to the US). ReportedFEBEA activity report 2025 Derived63% and €13.2B

Pharmacy share of French cosmetics: estimates vary

Three sources, three answers

22%34%50%+ 0%50%100% Pharmacies clearly matter, but the exact share is uncertain. ReportedMarket reports (2023–2025 data)

So what: French customers are expert and trust pharmacy “dermo-cosmetics”. Our consultations should talk about ingredients and proven results, not only trends.

02 · Target consumers

Gen Z already has a routine

A May 2025 study of 1,000 French women aged 15–25 shows a demanding, knowledgeable audience.

What French Gen Z women say

% of respondents

Gifting improves a brand’s image
86%
Bought skincare sold with a gift
40%
Want visible, proven results
29%
Call themselves skincare enthusiasts
27%
Want long-lasting effectiveness
27%
VerifiedSuperga Beauty × Appinio, via Premium Beauty News (Nov 2025)

Products used regularly

Average number of products, French women 15–25

Skincare 7.8 Haircare 4.3 Our kit swaps 3
  1. An upgrade, not a first routineSwap 3 of ~8 products for K-beauty.
  2. Show the proofExplain ingredients and results.
  3. Add a giftA deluxe sample with every kit.
VerifiedSuperga × Appinio · implications are our interpretation

Gap: we found no reliable France-specific data on how Gen Z discovers K-beauty (TikTok, Instagram). Most figures we found are about the US.

03 · Competition in Paris

Who already sells K-beauty in France?

The question is not “is there K-beauty in Paris?” but “what can Olive Young offer that others can’t?”

Positioning map

Our qualitative assessment from the sources below, not measured data

Price level → AffordablePremium Guidance & service → GuidedSelf-service Monoprix Seoul Skin, MiiN Galeries Lafayette Sephora France Pharmacies Moida Olive Young Lab(our proposal: + own brands)
Our proposalClosest competitorOther sellers
PlayerTypeWhat they offerThreatStatus
MoidaConcept store466 m² on the Champs-Élysées, 80+ Korean brands, in-store skin diagnosis, rotating brand pop-ups.HighVerified
Sephora FranceBeauty chainLaneige; Yepoda in 100+ European stores (Mar 2025); Aestura planned for 2026.HighReported
Galeries LafayetteDepartment storeK-beauty space at Haussmann: Dr. Jart+, Biodance, Banila Co., Torriden, Beauty of Joseon, COSRX.MediumVerified
MonoprixMass retailAffordable K-beauty skincare and makeup, including Anua.MediumReported
PharmaciesSpecialist channelTorriden entered France mainly through pharmacies and salons; Oh My Cream added Torriden (Feb 2025).MediumReported
Seoul Skin, MiiNIndependent shopsSeoul Skin (6th arr., ~50 brands, late 2025); MiiN near Châtelet, an early pioneer.LowReported

Our first idea was “skin consultation + K-beauty in Paris”. Moida already does this. If asked “isn’t this already in France?”, the answer is: Olive Young’s own brands, its curation and its refill loop are not.

04 · Olive Young today

Strong at home, just starting abroad

Revenue

₩ trillion, standalone

≈ 4.795.83 20242025 (+21.8%) Verified2025 Derived2024 = 5.83 ÷ 1.218

Foreign shoppers

Share of offline sales

2%11%21%28% 2022202320242025 VerifiedSeoul Economic Daily

Global Mall growth

H1 2025, year on year · 3.3M+ members

+60%+70% OrdersRevenue VerifiedSeoul Economic Daily

International moves

  • Jan 2026 · Sephora dealOlive Young-curated brands in Sephora: US from Aug 2026, then Asia; Middle East, UK, Australia in 2027
  • Feb 2026 · Europe via GabonaBIOHEAL BOH, BRINGGREEN and colorgram distributed from Poland
  • May 2026 · First store abroadPasadena, US, ≈ 400 brands; more LA stores planned
  • FranceNot named in any of these plans
VerifiedCosmetics Business · Inside Retail Asia ReportedKorea JoongAng Daily

Olive Young’s 12 own brands

BIOHEAL BOH·BRINGGREEN·WAKEMAKE·colorgram·Fillimilli·Ideal for Men·round around·Shingmulnara·CAREPLUS·tantan·DELIGHT PROJECT·ROOTECA

Our kit uses BRINGGREEN and BIOHEAL BOH.

Verifiedcorp.oliveyoung.com
05 · EU regulation

What we must get right before launch

Four steps before any Olive Young product can be sold in France.

1

Safety assessment

Every product needs an expert scientific safety assessment before sale.

VerifiedEuropean Commission
2

CPNP notification

Register every product in the EU portal. Animal testing is banned.

VerifiedEuropean Commission
3

French labels

Product information in French; an EU-based responsible person per product.

To confirm
!

Sunscreen filters

Korea and the EU approve different UV filters. Our SPF may need an EU formula.

ReportedTrade guides
06 · SWOT

Olive Young in France

SStrengths

  • Described as Korea’s top beauty retailer; revenue +21.8%
  • 12 own brands under its control
  • Curation expertise and trend speed
  • Global Mall already serves 150 countries

WWeaknesses

  • No stores or team in France yet
  • Low brand awareness among French shoppers
  • Stores abroad only since May 2026 (US)

OOpportunities

  • K-beauty exports to France +71.5%
  • Gen Z values gifts and proven results
  • Sephora partnership could later reach France
  • Europe distribution already starting (Poland)

TThreats

  • Moida already offers K-beauty + skin diagnosis in Paris
  • Sephora and Galeries Lafayette expanding K-beauty
  • Strong French pharmacy brands
  • EU compliance cost, especially sunscreens
07 · For our presentation

Five ways to sharpen our pitch

1

Lead with Olive Young’s own brands

Our real uniqueness. We found none of them in the French stores above. “K-beauty” alone is everywhere.

2

Know Moida, our closest competitor

Our difference: own brands, a French routine finder and a refill loop.

3

Position the kit as an “upgrade”

French Gen Z already use ~8 products. Offer a K-beauty swap, plus a gift.

4

Put compliance in months 1–3

CPNP notification, French labels and an EU-compliant sunscreen.

5

Be ready for “why not Sephora?”

The deal doesn’t include France today, and our own lab builds Olive Young’s brand, not Sephora’s.

08 · Sources

Where every fact comes from