LG opens multi-brand Tomaru cosmetics shop

The new Tomaru shop opens in Seodaemun. Provided by the company

Driven by the popularity of beauty products at home and abroad, LG Household & Health Care, the country’s second-largest cosmetics company, launched its own multi-brand cosmetics shop on Monday.

Located near Ewha Womans University in western Seoul, the first Beauty Tomaru Station is the second multi-brand store run by the company.

The move is seen as an attempt to increase distribution channels to better compete with its rival AmorePacific, which has a similar type of shop called Aritaum.

The makeup and personal care manufacturer said it plans to open nine more shops this year in areas such as Gangnam District and Hongik University area. The second branch will open next week near the Konkuk University neighborhood in eastern Seoul.

The featured brands include CNP Cosmetics, Care Zone, hair treatment brand Silk Therapy and mask pack sheet brand Dear Packer.

But the focus will be placed on a new brand, Tomaru, products which the company says are made of organic natural ingredients.

LG positions the new brand at the mid-range, with prices ranging from 20,000 won ($17) to 40,000 won, and targets young consumers.

The beauty company hopes that the cosmetics shop will help lift sales of other brands, as well as Tomaru.

While Amore’s Aritaum, with some 1,200 stores nationwide, contributes to the entire sales of the company and has become a shopping destination for tourists, LG’s existing multi-brand store Beaute is less popular. Beaute has different LG brands, such as Lacvert, Beyond and Cathy Cat.

This time around, LG Household & Health Care paid attention to the interior and services to attract young female consumers.

The Tomaru store houses a large touchscreen featuring information about each product and has an automatic vendor machine to provide visitors with cosmetics samples.

Along with the launch of new brand and shop, LG is striving to tap into the influx of Chinese tourists on beauty-related shopping sprees. The company said last month it will spend 380 billion won to build a cosmetics production line and other facilities in Cheongju, North Chungcheong.

The company’s earnings bear out the successful performance. LG Household’s second-quarter operating profit rose 38 percent from a year ago to 168 billion won. It has more than 20 cosmetics brands under its umbrella, including O HUI and The Faceshop.

BY PARK EUN-JEE [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]