CU partners with Tonymoly for half-price color cosmetics targeting young consumers

Convenience store chain CU is launching a new line of color cosmetics aimed at teenagers and young adults, in collaboration with beauty brand Tonymoly. The initial offering will feature nine new lip makeup products, including lip tints and lip oil glosses, along with blushes. These products will be available starting May 28 in approximately 400 CU stores specializing in beauty products, with plans to expand to all nationwide stores by the end of the month.

What sets this new line apart is its pricing strategy. While maintaining the same volume as standard color cosmetics, the products will be sold at half the usual price, costing less than 9,000 won (approximately $6.50 USD). This aggressive pricing aims to capture the burgeoning market for "practical beauty" products that offer both affordability and utility.

CU's decision to expand its range of value-for-money color cosmetics is driven by a significant increase in demand. Last year, sales in CU's cosmetics category grew by 20.9% compared to the previous year. Notably, from January 1 to May 26 of this year, sales of color cosmetics alone saw a dramatic surge of 189.9% compared to the same period in 2023.

Analysis shows that approximately 70% of CU's cosmetic customers are between the ages of 10 and 20. The convenience store's focus on high value, diverse product selection, and accessibility aligns well with the purchasing habits of Gen Z and Alpha consumers, collectively known as "Jalpa" generation. This trend is not unique to CU; other convenience store chains like GS25 are also accelerating their efforts to penetrate the low-price cosmetics market, a strategy they began implementing last year.

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CU will continue to expand beauty-specialized convenience stores centered on middle and high schools, academies, and tourist destinations this year and actively develop trendy, differentiated beauty products.