Foreo marks 20 locations in South Korean duty free and readies for global expansion in 2019

Foreo has been actively expanding in the travel retail channel for about two years and has developed quickly in that time. The beauty tech brand – which claims to be the world’s fastest-growing – is now present in more than 200 duty free stores in 23 countries.

The UFO is said to be the world’s first ‘smart mask’.
Gary Leong: “North America, Latin America and Europe will be our main focus in 2019.”

“Most of these are located in Asia – namely Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, and Macau,” Foreo’s Global Travel Retail Director Gary Leong told The Moodie Davitt Report. “But our expansion has gone further and has already reached major capitals in Europe, North America, and Oceania (covering the entire Pacific Rim) and has started to spread in Latin America and the Middle East as well. North America, Latin America and Europe will be our main focus in 2019.”

South Korean connection

The Swedish beauty and wellbeing brand – which offers a technology-based solution to skincare – counts the South Korean duty free market as “extremely important” to its business.

Leong said: “We have just finished with store number 20 in duty free alone. Foreo has strategic partnerships with all the major Korean travel retailers such as Lotte, The Shilla, Shinsegae, Doota, Dongwha, Hanwha, Hyundai, and JTO.”

The brand’s 20th South Korean travel retail opening took place earlier this month with Hyundai Duty Free at its new department store in Seoul’s fashionable downtown Gangnam area. The 13sq m unit in the cosmetics zone carries Foreo’s latest range including its UFO and Advanced mask collections, plus the popular LunaMini 2 facial cleansing brush, which has topped US$1 billion in sales this year.

Foreo’s 20th travel retail opening in South Korean duty free took place earlier this month at Hyundai Duty Free’s new department store in Seoul.

Leong commented: “The use of high-tech skincare devices is on the rise, with consumers wanting technological solutions that produce professional results in the comfort of their own home.

“Another major trend that is just taking shape and starting to impact the beauty industry is customisation and personalisation – consumers are seeking solutions that can adapt to their specific needs.”

Masks: Evolving with a technological twist

Foreo says its UFO device – described as the world’s first ‘smart mask’ – places professional-level treatments in the consumer’s hands.

The product range combines Korean skincare expertise with Swedish beauty technology. This includes state-of-the-art dermal tech, including full-spectrum LED light therapy in a treatment that lasts for just 90 seconds.

The UFO is accompanied by a range of ‘Activated Masks’ that have been developed to match every skin type. The mask formulas are developed and made in South Korea and designed to offer a complete facial treatment. The brand says it is currently developing collaborations with mask brands.

Complementing the UFO, the Foreo app has functionality that allows the user to store eight favourite smart masks treatments, giving users a flexible approach to this form of skincare.

Foreo has made the UFO compact, waterproof and travel-friendly.

“Facial masks – with their roots in Asia – have been the most significant trend in the beauty industry and the most searched-for skincare term in 2017, according to Google,” noted Leong.

“With the K-beauty phenomenon going global, airport retailers worldwide are upping their skincare offer to meet consumers’ growing demand.”

UFO, argues Foreo, is the answer.

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