On the 1st (local time), at Hudson Yards Mall, a complex shopping mall in Manhattan, New York, USA. Even on a weekday afternoon, visitors' footsteps never cease at this location. In one corner of the first floor, a special store has taken root, boasting sophisticated interior design and refined K-beauty products. This is the site of the "Shinsegae Hyperground New York Pop-up Store," unveiled by Shinsegae Department Store in partnership with promising domestic small and medium-sized beauty brands.
Upon entering the store entrance, a unique fragrance stimulated the nose. Following the subtly lingering scent, one could see local customers carefully examining products while trying on displayed cosmetics or smelling their scents. The enthusiasm of those who wanted to directly experience brands they had encountered through online channels and travel in Korea was intense at the New York site.
Branda, an American residing in Manhattan, was one of them. She frequently travels to Korea and could not hide her excitement while showing off the shopping bag she held in her hand. Branda said, "I often travel to Korea, so I am glad to see my favorite Korean brands so diversely here in New York," adding, "I am very interested in beauty, so I like that I can directly experience and immediately purchase Korean cosmetics I had been curious about."
This pop-up is part of Shinsegae Department Store's SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) mutual growth platform "Hyperground" project, which discovers promising domestic brands and introduces them to overseas consumers. Under the cooperation of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, 34 domestic brands participated in the New York pop-up.
It is realistically difficult for small and medium-sized brands to open standalone stores in major New York commercial facilities like Hudson Yards. This is due to excessive rent, logistics costs, and complex licensing procedures. Shinsegae Hyperground has created a platform where small and medium-sized brands can gather and exert "K-content power" based on the powerful product planning capabilities and distribution know-how of a large corporation.
Even for brands that gained popularity in Korea, there is no guarantee they will receive the same reaction from American consumers. It must be examined which products and designs consumers are interested in, whether direct use leads to purchase, and whether the brand's story and concept resonate in the local market. The pop-up serves as a testing ground to confirm such reactions on-site and gauge the potential for entering the US market.
For brands, the opportunity to meet local consumers directly is also important. To enter overseas distribution networks, one must grasp not only product competitiveness but also local consumer preferences, price acceptance, and brand awareness. The pop-up can serve as an opportunity to obtain such information while expanding touchpoints with buyers, distribution partners, and content creators. This is because it allows for direct verification of consumer reactions that are difficult to obtain through online sales or participation in overseas exhibitions alone.
Shinsegae is strengthening its role in connecting overseas markets and brands. Rather than insisting solely on opening direct stores locally, the strategy is to first verify marketability through pop-ups and support brands whose potential has been confirmed to proceed to local distribution. The plan is to grow Hyperground into a platform that introduces Korean brands while considering consumer characteristics and distribution environments by city, not just in New York.
This synergy is being proven by local reactions. It was revealed that inquiries from local distribution officials and influencers were substantial even before the official opening. The purchase rate of customers visiting the store also exceeds expectations. It is serving as a substantive bridgehead for expanding touchpoints with overseas distribution partners and major retailers.
Park Sang-eon, Senior Executive Vice President in charge of New Retail at Shinsegae Department Store, said, "The New York pop-up signifies directly connecting K-beauty brands and global consumers based on Shinsegae's product planning capabilities and distribution know-how." He added, "Having confirmed the growth potential of K-brands through local reactions that exceeded expectations, we will grow Hyperground into a global growth platform that helps promising domestic brands expand overseas."
The Shinsegae Hyperground New York Pop-up Store is a forward base for expanding the territory of K-beauty to the core North American market, following Paris, Tokyo, and Thailand. However, for the pop-up's success not to remain as one-time interest, the process of connecting reactions confirmed on-site to actual business results is important. Visitors' curiosity must lead to purchases, and brands that have built awareness at the pop-up must enter formal distribution networks to generate steady sales. As the overseas expansion results of participating brands accumulate, Hyperground's role can expand beyond overseas promotion to substantive distribution support.
Going one step further from introducing Korean brands overseas to taking root in local markets is the next stage that Shinsegae Hyperground has placed on the testing ground.
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