K-Beauty accelerates U.S. expansion with Ulta Beauty partnership

Landing International’s K-Beauty World, led by CEO Sarah Chung Park, is accelerating the nationwide expansion of Korean beauty in the United States through a strategic partnership with Ulta Beauty, the country’s largest beauty retailer. Often described as the “Olive Young of America,” Ulta operates more than 1,400 stores and has recently expanded its K-Beauty sections both online and offline.

This summer, K-Beauty World introduced eight Korean brands—including Chasing Rabbits, Mixsoon, and Rom&nd—into Ulta’s retail and e-commerce platforms. Landing International, which has supported the U.S. entry of Korean cosmetics since its founding, has seen revenue grow by nearly 600% between 2021 and 2023, ranking 15th on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2024 Top 100 Fastest-Growing Companies.

In an interview, Park shared her perspective on K-Beauty’s global competitiveness and future direction.

Q: What is Landing International?

Park: “Landing International is a B2B platform that helps global beauty brands establish themselves in the U.S. market. We’ve launched more than 180 K-Beauty brands into major retailers such as Ulta, Target, and Nordstrom.”

Q: What inspired you to found the company?

Park: “I witnessed how small and mid-sized Korean beauty companies lost opportunities in the U.S. market due to slow distribution and inefficiencies. To address this, we built a platform powered by data, digital tools, and education. We developed the BeautyFluent mobile app, virtual showrooms, and sampling programs to streamline wholesale processes and support brand growth.”

Q: Can you introduce K-Beauty World?

Park: “K-Beauty World is a large-scale retail platform created by Landing International. It offers over 200 products, providing next-generation beauty experiences tailored to age, skin tone, and budget. Our goal is to combine effectiveness with storytelling.

We also operate K-Beauty Mart pop-ups, inspired by Korean convenience stores, and organize cultural events where consumers can directly experience Korean cosmetics and culture together.”

Q: Why is K-Beauty growing so rapidly?

Park: “K-Beauty is competitive because it’s innovative, agile, and consumer-driven. Demanding Korean consumers push brands to release new products at a rapid pace, which has led to global trends like sheet masks, cushion compacts, and multi-step routines.

On platforms such as TikTok, young U.S. consumers are drawn to K-Beauty for its affordable pricing, high efficacy, and creative packaging.”

Q: Landing International has been leading K-Beauty’s U.S. entry. What makes your approach different?

Park: “We’ve launched over 180 beauty and wellness brands, including COSRX and Hanskin, in the U.S. Our work goes beyond distribution. We focus on brand identity, channel strategy, retail partnerships, and long-term value creation, ensuring K-Beauty grows from a niche category into a new beauty standard.”

Q: What trends and challenges do you see in the U.S. market?

Park: “American consumers are shifting away from the complicated 10-step skincare routine. They prefer skin-barrier care, multi-functional serums, and minimalist skincare. At the same time, color cosmetics are gaining popularity again.

But the market is also becoming saturated. Brands must differentiate themselves through inclusivity, diverse skin tones, and authentic storytelling.”

Q: What are your future plans for K-Beauty World?

Park: “We plan to expand K-Beauty World beyond skincare into makeup, body, and hair care. We’re also producing a YouTube documentary series to showcase Korean beauty culture and brand stories directly to U.S. consumers.

Our mission is to bring the very best of Korean cosmetics to American shoppers and deliver not just effective products but also small moments of joy.”

BY EUNYOUNG LEE [lee.eunyoung6@koreadaily.com]