Seven-Eleven Japan adds K-beauty corner with Qoo10 in stores nationwide
In short
Seven-Eleven Japan began operating a K-beauty curation corner called “Qoo10 Pick” on Sept 26 in stores across Japan, in cooperation with the online marketplace Qoo10 Japan. The first lineup covers 21 products from eight Korean brands, priced at roughly 400 to 1,500 yen. Seven-Eleven said the tie-up is aimed at drawing younger shoppers, a segment where it says it is weak.
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Seven-Eleven Japan began operating a K-beauty curation corner called “Qoo10 Pick” in stores across Japan on Sept 26, in cooperation with the online marketplace Qoo10 Japan, which is operated by eBay Japan. The corner sells Korean cosmetics selected from Qoo10 Japan’s sales data and trend information. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
The first lineup consists of 21 products from eight brands: AOU, Growus, SKIN&LAB, SKIN1004, Centellian24, Tiptoe, 23YearsOld and Parnell. Yonhap reported prices generally range from 400 to 1,500 yen, or about 3,400 to 13,000 won. The products include skincare, foundation and lip gloss, according to Dong-A Ilbo. [ 1 , 4 ]
Kikuchi Tsukasa, a merchandiser at Seven-Eleven Japan’s product headquarters, told Korean media on Sept 30 that the chain’s customers are mostly in their 40s and 50s and that it is aiming to attract younger shoppers through Korean brands. “Korean cosmetics are really popular with young customers. Seven-Eleven is weak with young customers, so we want to strengthen this area,” he said, adding that the chain is also working to increase younger visitors through medical products and miscellaneous goods. He said the lineup includes mini-size products and limited colours that differ from existing items. [ 4 ]
Yonhap reported that the partnership is intended to address the fact that K-beauty products have mainly been available at large stand-alone stores such as Loft and Don Quijote. Nakamura Wakako, an eBay Japan corporate partnership and events manager, said she hopes the corner becomes a new point of contact between Korean brands and Japanese customers, who can encounter products offline as well as online. [ 4 ]
The two companies plan to renew the Qoo10 Pick lineup about three times a year, based on sales data and the latest trends. Dong-A Ilbo reported that the corner was introduced in some of Seven-Eleven’s roughly 20,000 stores in Japan and that the number of outlets handling it will be expanded in stages. Newsis reported that Qoo10 Pick products are also promoted inside the Seven-Eleven app. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Qoo10 Japan is pursuing a broader offline push. Newsis reported that the company plans a “Mega Popup” in November and a large flagship store called “Mega Town” in Harajuku, Tokyo, from the second quarter of next year, following a “Sample House” that opened in Shibuya on Oct 1. It described the aim as using offline space to let shoppers experience brands discovered online, then feeding on-site reactions and data back into online sales and marketing. [ 3 ]
According to figures cited by Newsis, Qoo10 Japan’s quarterly “MegaWari” event recorded 60.5 billion yen in transaction value in this year’s second quarter, up 12% from a year earlier and above 60 billion yen for the first time. Its “MegaDebut” programme for brands new to Japan recorded cumulative sales of 6.4 billion yen from April last year to April this year, while “MegaOshi”, which concentrates on single products, has posted 3 billion yen in cumulative sales and 700,000 units sold since starting in April last year. Yonhap reported that Korean cosmetics have recently been gaining popularity among Japanese users in their teens and twenties, spreading through social media. [ 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The tie-up puts Korean cosmetics into Japan’s largest convenience-store network, giving K-beauty brands a channel beyond department stores and drugstores. For Qoo10 Japan’s operator eBay Japan, it is part of a push to link online brand discovery with physical retail, including a flagship store planned in Tokyo’s Harajuku. The documents give no sales targets or results for the corner yet.
Key facts
- Seven-Eleven Japan has operated a K-beauty curation corner called “Qoo10 Pick” in stores nationwide since Sept 26. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The corner is run with Qoo10 Japan, the online marketplace operated by eBay Japan. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The first lineup has 21 products from eight brands, including AOU, Growus, SKIN&LAB, SKIN1004, Centellian24, Tiptoe, 23YearsOld and Parnell. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Products are generally priced between 400 and 1,500 yen (about 3,400 to 13,000 won), according to Yonhap. [ 4 ]
- A Seven-Eleven merchandiser said Korean cosmetics are popular with younger customers and that the chain wants to strengthen that segment. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Seven-Eleven and Qoo10 Japan plan to renew the product lineup about three times a year based on sales data and trends. [ 4 ]
- Qoo10 Japan plans a “Mega Popup” in November and a large flagship store called “Mega Town” in Harajuku, Tokyo, from the second quarter of next year. [ 3 ]
- Qoo10 Japan’s second-quarter MegaWari event posted 60.5 billion yen in transaction value, up 12% from a year earlier and above 60 billion yen for the first time. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Seven-Eleven Japan has run a K-beauty curation corner called “Qoo10 Pick” with Qoo10 Japan since Sept 26. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The first lineup consists of 21 products from eight Korean brands. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Qoo10 Japan is operated by eBay Japan. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Seven-Eleven says the tie-up targets younger customers, who it says are a weak point for the chain. [ 1 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- How many of Seven-Eleven’s roughly 20,000 Japanese stores carry the Qoo10 Pick corner. Documents say the corner was introduced in some stores and that the number will be expanded in stages, but give no figure.
- Sales or performance data for the Qoo10 Pick corner itself. No outlet reports results for the corner; only earlier online program figures are given.
- The name of one brand in the lineup. Dong-A Ilbo lists Centellian24 while Yonhap lists “Sen24”, which appears to be a short form; the documents do not reconcile the two.
- Whether Seven-Eleven and Qoo10 Japan have set a target date to complete the nationwide rollout. Documents say only that handling stores will be expanded sequentially.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Seven-Eleven Japan and Qoo10 Japan begin operating the “Qoo10 Pick” K-beauty corner in stores nationwide. [ 1 , 4 ]
- A Seven-Eleven store in Shin-Okubo, Tokyo, has a dedicated K-beauty display; Seven-Eleven merchandiser Kikuchi Tsukasa speaks to Korean media. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Qoo10 Japan opens a “Sample House” in Shibuya, the first of three planned offline bases. [ 3 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo and Newsis publish reports on the corner; Newsis also reports on Qoo10 Japan’s offline expansion plans. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Yonhap publishes its report with the Seven-Eleven merchandiser interview and product prices. [ 4 ]