Korean beauty brands increasingly offering the interactive retail experience

In a round-up of the immersive, hands-on retail offerings which beauty brands are increasingly offering in the country, the national paper highlighted the rise of smart technology and wearables as the key driver behind the trend.

“Seeking to offer more interactive and tailored services to consumers, cosmetic brands in Korea are increasingly utilizing high technology and smart gadgets to satisfy diverse consumer needs at one of the largest, trend-sensitive beauty hubs in the world,” the newspaper notes.

It highlights AmorePacific, Dior and SK-II as key examples of beauty players at the forefront of this retail trend.

Magic Ring test

SK-II’s Magic Ring test (a diagnostics testing process for consumers’ skin), uses a skin imaging machine that tracks details such as the direction and size of pores and wrinkles, offering consumers the personalised product recommendation service they increasingly demand.

Amore Pacific and Dior are just two of several other major brands reportedly also offering interactive diagnostics services in Korea, and investing in developing bespoke technologies specifically for the immersive retail setting.

Apps are another key channel boasting interactive opportunities for brands, with L’Oreal reportedly gearing up to launch its MakeUp Genius app (which allows consumers to virtually try on cosmetics) onto the Korean market in the coming months.

Korea is just the latest in a string of countries in which the beauty industry is adopting the potential of interactive beauty with open arms, to meet the rising demand from young, tech-savvy consumers.

The Korea Herald report comes hot on the heels of a recent study published by market research firm Euromontior International , which noted that younger generation consumers increasingly demand interactivity.

Millennials seek out “a curated but interactive sales environment, whether retail or online”, the firm’s analysts confirmed, noting that cosmetics is a rare area in which the consumer group is willing to spend freely.