South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare has opened three K-beauty retail locations in Italy, Germany, and France to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the cosmetics sector in accessing the European market. This initiative comes as the country’s cosmetics exports to Europe surged 62.4% in the first half of 2026, reaching USD 1.26 billion, up from $770 million during the same period last year.
Read More
In Milan, a pop-up store called Gop-da showcased products from Korean SMEs from September 25 to 27 during Milan Fashion Week, enabling companies to gauge consumer interest and engage with potential buyers about export opportunities. On September 28, the NEMO Store x K-BEAUTY ON flagship store was inaugurated at MILANEO, a major shopping center in Stuttgart. This permanent location builds on the success of last year’s pop-up store and seeks to enhance local sales and business-to-business distribution channels.
A third flagship hub named MMM (Maison des Mille Muses) opened in Paris on September 30. This hub displays K-beauty products and incorporates advanced technologies like AI for personal color and skin analysis. It also aids companies in submitting product notifications through the European Union’s Cosmetic Products Notification Portal and facilitates connections with local buyers.
The ministry’s approach includes operating pop-up stores to test market viability, establishing permanent flagship stores to enhance sales and distribution, and creating flagship hubs for comprehensive market entry support, including product promotion, certification advice, and buyer matchmaking. Plans to extend this network to additional markets such as the United States, Vietnam, Chile, Indonesia, Morocco, and Singapore are also in place.
Seong Changhyeon, director general for health industry policy at the ministry, expressed hopes that the expansion of K-beauty retail spaces in Europe will support SMEs with competitive products in establishing their overseas distribution channels.