Olive Young said on Saturday that 116 brands sold through its online and offline channels recorded annual sales of at least 10 billion won last year.

The number of brands in the so-called "100 billion won club" rose to more than three times the 36 recorded in 2020 over five years. Six brands posted annual sales exceeding 100 billion won at Olive Young last year: Dr.G, d'Alba, Round Lab, Mediheal, Clio and Torriden. That is double the previous year.

Among them, Mediheal became the first brand on the retailer's platform to surpass 200 billion won in annual sales, proving the scalability of its skincare categories such as sheet masks and toner pads.

Many emerging brands with distinctive concepts joined the 100 billion won club. Examples include Arencia, which gained recognition with a cleanser featuring a unique texture reminiscent of rice cake, and Whipped, inspired by cake recipes.

The average age of domestic brands in the 100 billion won club is about 15 years. The list ranges from rookie brands less than five years old, such as Muzi Mansion and fwee, to long-running company brands that have been around for more than 20 years, including Aromatica and Cell Fusion C.

Brands that benefited indirectly also settled into the 100 billion won club as Olive Young entered the era of 1 trillion won in foreign customer purchases last year. The strategy of creating landmark stores in major shopping districts with a high share of foreign purchases and improving shopping accessibility led to brand growth.

Beauty device brand Medicube AGE-R newly joined the 100 billion won club on the back of interest in Korean-style skincare routines. Rejuran and So'Natural, whose foreign purchase shares exceeded half, also made the 100 billion won club for a second consecutive year.

Results also emerged from its incubating business, K-Super Rookie With Young, which identifies and nurtures next-generation global brands. Of 25 brands selected for the programme in August last year, Ongredients entered the 100 billion won club for the first time. Menokin and 2aN surpassed 5 billion won in annual sales, emerging as the next promising candidates.

Olive Young supports brand growth through its omnichannel competitiveness linking nationwide stores and its online mall. It operates stores in key tourist shopping districts as global showrooms and test beds, providing touchpoints to pre-verify overseas demand. It also supports easing interest-rate burdens through a "mutual growth fund" so small and mid-sized companies can focus on growth.

Olive Young will open an offline store in the United States in the first half of this year, the world's largest beauty market. It aims to establish a bridgehead for K-beauty and wellness brands to leap into the global mainstream market.

An Olive Young official said the company plans to continue serving as a partner so world-class domestic small brands can grow into major global brands through Olive Young.