CJ Olive Young will open the first offline store of its new platform, Olive Better (OLIVE BETTER), on the first floor of Gwanghwamun D-Tower in Seoul.

Olive Better will be operated as an independent brand separate from Olive Young. While Olive Young’s main customers are people in their 20s and 30s, Olive Better will target those aged 25 to 45 and men as well. The store brand is different, but the app will start as an in-app service within the Olive Young app. It is aimed at using Olive Young’s data and marketing assets.

CJ Olive Young held an opening briefing and store tour event for Olive Better on Jan. 29 and said it aims to grow the K-wellness industry into the “next K-beauty” through Olive Better.

Dong-geun Lee (이동근), lead of new growth retail business at CJ Olive Young, stressed an aggressive product sourcing strategy. “From the business preparation stage, we secured a brand pool about double the number of new brands Olive Young sources annually,” he said. “At the beginning, we will take a broad portfolio to establish the platform’s identity, and then find strong domestic items and grow it into a hub for K-wellness,” he said. “We will expand customer touchpoints centered on key commercial districts in Seoul and the greater capital area,” he added. “We plan to broaden the brand experience to global inbound customers as well,” he added.

Se-young Choi (최세영), head of the communications team, said, “Just as we pioneered the health and beauty (H&B) market in 1999 and created K-beauty’s golden era, Olive Better will become a gateway that opens a second K-beauty era.”

Olive Better will open a Gangnam Station store at the same time as the Gwanghwamun store. Customers can use Olive Young’s “Otoday Dream” delivery and pickup services and membership benefits as they are.

The first Olive Better store is a two-story shop finished with glass walls. It curates and sells a range of wellness products that reflect health trends, from organic whole-ingredient foods to various zero-sugar snacks.

It also carries low-sugar products including “Ole Shot,” a mix of olive oil and lemon juice, various wellness shots mixing organic ginger, turmeric and apple juices, zero-sugar Dubai chocolate, and a range of nut butters such as pistachio and almond.

The “Move Well” zone is a space for sports nutrition designed to boost effects before and after exercise. It is stocked with products for runners, including energy gels and electrolyte supplements.

The “Relax Well” zone focuses on rest to end the day. It offers a wide selection, from caffeine substitutes such as tea and alternative coffee to aromatherapy and sleep items including lighting and pajamas. A hands-on space to smell and taste tea is also set up at the back of the store.

On the second floor, the “Nourish Well” zone sells dietary supplements. Each electronic shelf label (ESL) displays the actual size of pills. “We considered the characteristics of functional health foods, which generate high demand for information such as timing, target users and how to take them,” said Ye-ri Kim (김예리), assistant manager for new growth retail business. It is an omnichannel strategy that links app product-page information to offline electronic shelf labels.

The “Eat Well” corner at the back sells healthy foods. It includes “Daily Booster” for replenishing nutrients such as olive oil on an empty stomach, “Light Meal” items such as rice and porridge that help with diet management, and “Guilty Pleasure” products that add flavor. Guide leaflets showing everyday ways to consume the products are placed throughout the store.

The first floor focuses on “energy.” At the “Protein Library,” customers can choose and pack products by protein content and taste. Protein shakes sold in pouches, a recent trend, also stand out.

In the beauty category, the “Glow Well” section focuses mainly on dermocosmetics rather than colorful makeup. Kim said, “Olive Better beauty is a curation closer to healing than to dressing up.” The “Care Well” zone offers products that break oral care into six steps, from gargle sprays to dental floss and tongue cleaners.

Olive Better also handles fresh, chilled and frozen ready-to-eat foods. “This is a test to address demand for ready-to-eat meals in office districts,” said Soo-young Jang (장수영), wellness MD team manager at Olive Better. “To form healthy eating habits across everyday life, we also need to diversify the ready-to-eat portfolio,” Jang said.