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K-beauty brands have taken over the heart of Omotesando in Tokyo. This high-profile event — set in one of Japan’s premier luxury shopping districts and a hub for beauty trends — lets visitors try Korean brands in person and buy products on the spot.
Global cosmetics distributor Leferi co-hosted the K-Beauty Select Store at the Yodobashi J6 building in Omotesando on April 2 with Amazon Korea. The pop-up runs for 12 days through April 13 and covers roughly 500 pyeong (about 17,792 sq ft).
The Omotesando area where the event opened typically sees daily foot traffic exceeding 500,000 people during the April peak season. K-beauty booths lined the space, and visitors tested products side by side, comparing each brand’s signature features. By pairing hands-on trials with immediate purchase options, the event turned browsing into buying — a move that clearly resonated with local shoppers.
From day one, Japanese consumers and influencers flocked in, creating long lines at the venue.
Tokyo as a testing ground for K-beauty distribution — brands that sparked local buzz
At the heart of the event is a hybrid distribution strategy that links offline experience with online purchase. Visitors try products on site, then complete purchases online through a curated Amazon promotion. It’s more than a typical pop-up: the experience is designed to convert in-person excitement into e-commerce sales.
The select store featured 11 brands and 48 products across three categories — skincare, makeup, and beauty devices. Leferi said it curated the selection using its network of domestic and international beauty creators, choosing brands and products that passed its quality checks.
Leferi plans to leverage Amazon Korea’s global selling infrastructure to widen touchpoints with Japanese consumers. The company positions the event as a testing ground for an integrated online-offline distribution model that helps K-beauty brands enter Japan beyond the limits of traditional pop-ups.
The on-site energy was electric. About 1,000 influencers from Japan and Korea — including Leferi-affiliated creators like Leo J, Minsco, Arang, Kim Crystal, and Hazel, along with local Japanese creators — attended the event. They pumped up the atmosphere with reviews and content creation, and that content is expected to spread quickly across Japan and global social media channels.
On the afternoon of April 3, Leferi will hold its KYEA (Korea Youtubers’ Excellence Awards), the creator big-data–based K-beauty brand certification and awards ceremony the company runs annually — and this year it’s being held overseas for the first time. By combining the live event with brand awards, Leferi aims to boost K-beauty’s visibility even more. LE SSERAFIM member Kazuha is also scheduled to appear, drawing additional attention.
The global beauty magazine Allure Korea joined as a strategic media partner, and Hanjin Co. served as the official logistics partner.
Leferi views the Tokyo select store as an opportunity to showcase its global competitiveness and capability to expand overseas. The company plans to roll this distribution model out to other major international markets, starting with Japan.
“The biggest barrier for K-beauty brands entering overseas markets is the lack of local distribution infrastructure and consumer touchpoints,” Leferi CEO Choi In-seok said. “Through the Leferi Select Store, we provide offline trial opportunities and connect them to online sales via Amazon, creating a new global distribution model.”
Founded in 2013, Leferi describes itself as a beauty specialist blending beauty and retail under the concept of “Beauty-Tail.”
Leveraging a network of roughly 400 influencers, Leferi develops creators, runs integrated online and offline marketing, operates social-media–based commerce and live commerce, and handles beauty product manufacturing and distribution.
Since 2024, Leferi has regularly operated select stores to support K-beauty brands entering the Japanese market, and it launched the Japan service of its global creator-seeding e-commerce platform Recommend to expand its overseas business.
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