Hey beauty lovers!

K-beauty isn’t just about the formulas or packaging. it’s about where people actually buy it.

From Seoul to São Paulo, every market has its own dominant retailer, both online and offline, that shapes how consumers discover new trends and decide what to trust.

Here’s a closer look at the global map of beauty distribution in 2025.

Korea – Olive Young & Coupang

Olive Young (Offline)
With over 1,300 stores nationwide, Olive Young is more than a drugstore it’s the launchpad of K-beauty trends. Foreign tourists visit more than 90% of its locations, making it a must-stop destination. For indie brands, entering Olive Young can mean jumping from obscurity to becoming a household name, as shown by the 100+ brands surpassing ₩10 billion ($7.5M) in annual sales through this channel.

Coupang (Online)
Coupang dominates e-commerce in Korea. In Q1 2025 alone, its sales hit ₩11.5 trillion ($8.5B), growing 21% YoY. With its “rocket delivery” system promising next-day (or even same-day) arrivals, Coupang has become the first place consumers check when buying skincare online.

Japan – @cosme & Matsumoto Kiyoshi

@cosme (Online & Flagship Stores)
Japan’s biggest beauty review community, with millions of user reviews, gives @cosme unmatched authority. Its annual Best Cosmetics Awards often send winning products flying off shelves within days. Flagship @cosme Stores in Tokyo and Osaka translate digital trust into real-life shopping.

Matsumoto Kiyoshi (Offline)
With around 3,000 stores, “Matsukiyo” is Japan’s everyday skincare access point. Affordable pricing, convenient locations, and a wide assortment of domestic and imported skincare make it the most accessible touchpoint for the mass market.

China – Tmall & Watsons

Tmall (Online)
Owned by Alibaba, Tmall is the must-enter marketplace for global beauty brands. During Singles’ Day (11.11) alone, sales often reach tens of billions of dollars, and beauty is consistently a top-performing category. For K-beauty brands, opening a flagship on Tmall is considered a non-negotiable step.

Watsons China (Offline)
Operating 3,900+ stores across 500 cities, Watsons remains the most familiar beauty chain in China. The brand has embraced “O+O” (Offline plus Online) strategies, blending in-store experiences with digital shopping. For K-beauty, Watsons offers exposure to both Tier 1 cities and beyond.

United States – Amazon & Sephora

Amazon (Online)
Amazon’s U.S. beauty and personal care sales were projected to reach $36B in 2024 (+26% YoY). With hundreds of thousands of reviews, product rankings, and unbeatable convenience, Amazon is the default first stop for skincare shoppers. K-beauty brands like Beauty of Joseon and COSRX have become Amazon darlings, often trending during Prime Day.

Sephora (Offline)
With 2,700 stores worldwide, Sephora is where prestige beauty trends are born. It’s not just a retailer — it’s a cultural hub where consumers try, test, and adopt new brands. Sephora’s curated selection of premium and indie brands, and its recent expansion of K-beauty offerings, reinforce its role as the U.S. beauty trendsetter.

Europe (UK) – Lookfantastic & Boots

Lookfantastic (Online)
Part of The Hut Group, Lookfantastic attracts over 100 million annual visits. It ships globally and is known for introducing niche and trendy brands into the European market. For many K-beauty fans, it’s the easiest way to access products across the EU.

Boots (Offline)
Founded over 170 years ago, Boots runs 2,200+ stores in the UK alone. Known as the “nation’s drugstore,” Boots balances affordable everyday skincare with prestige brand launches, making it a trusted authority in both mass and premium categories.

India – Nykaa & Reliance Retail

Nykaa (Online & Offline)
Dubbed the “Sephora of India,” Nykaa started as an e-commerce platform and has since expanded into 150+ physical stores across major Indian cities. Its IPO in 2021 cemented it as a beauty powerhouse, and it continues to lead in premium brand launches and K-beauty expansion.

Reliance Retail (Offline)
Backed by Reliance Industries, this retail giant operates 15,000+ stores across multiple formats. With immense distribution power, Reliance Retail has been instrumental in bringing global beauty brands into India’s mainstream.

Indonesia / Malaysia – Shopee & Watsons

Shopee (Online)
With 300M+ monthly users across Southeast Asia, Shopee is the digital mall where beauty thrives. K-beauty consistently ranks among its top-selling categories, driven by mobile-first shopping culture.

Watsons (Offline)
In Malaysia alone, Watsons operates 600+ stores, serving as the main hub for halal-certified cosmetics. Its role in curating K-beauty alongside local halal brands has made it the most trusted offline beauty chain.

Middle East – Noon & Sephora Middle East

Noon (Online)
Often called the “Amazon of the Middle East,” Noon is a rising force in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. With local payment options and regional logistics, Noon has become the go-to online marketplace for beauty.

Sephora Middle East (Offline)
Anchored in luxury malls in Dubai and Riyadh, Sephora Middle East offers prestige brands and exclusive launches. It defines premium beauty culture in the region and has become a magnet for affluent young consumers.

Brazil / Mexico – Mercado Libre & Sephora

Mercado Libre (Online)
With $14.8B revenue in 2024, Mercado Libre is Latin America’s largest e-commerce platform. Its fast-growing beauty category has become a key channel for international brands.

Sephora (Offline)
Sephora Brazil and Mexico serve as the central stage for global prestige beauty launches, bridging Latin American consumers with global trends.

Australia / New Zealand – Adore Beauty & Mecca

Adore Beauty (Online)
Australia’s largest online beauty retailer, with 4M+ annual visitors, Adore Beauty is known for trusted reviews, speedy delivery, and a wide selection of global brands.

Mecca (Offline)
With 100+ stores across Australia and New Zealand, Mecca is the closest rival to Sephora. Its curated luxury and indie brand mix makes it the go-to destination for premium skincare shoppers.

The Big Picture

Across markets, two kinds of giants define the beauty retail landscape.

Market Share Leaders online platforms like Amazon, Tmall, Coupang, Shopee, Mercado Libre.

Trendsetters & Hubs offline curators like Sephora, Olive Young, Boots, Mecca.

For K-beauty, these aren’t just distribution channels. They are the global gateways that determine which products go viral, which brands earn consumer trust, and ultimately, which trends travel across borders.