



L&P Cosmetics' limited edition product "Mediheal Love Capsule in Mask" / Courtesy of L&P Cosmetics



By Kwak Yeon-soo



Retailers are enjoying brisk sales of cosmetics and other goods advertised by K-pop boy band BTS which is garnering unprecedented global fame with its ongoing world tour "Love Yourself: Speak Yourself," according to industry officials, Monday.



As the brand power of BTS has already been proven many times, retailers are working to attract the attention of BTS' core fans, known as ARMY.



"BTS has such a giant fandom regardless of gender, age and nationality," a GS Retail official said.



"I think the recent example of a cosmetics brand working with GS25, our convenience store chain that has 13,000 branches nationwide, shows the demand from consumers for easy access to K-pop merchandise."



Hyundai Research Institute recently estimated that in 2018, the value of goods and services generated by BTS reached 4.14 trillion won ($3.5 billion).



The power of BTS is being felt not only in the music industry, but also in retail sales and tourism.



After naming BTS as the company's new "face," VT Cosmetics exploded globally and posted an operating profit of 9.2 billion won last year, up 423 percent from the previous year.



VT Cosmetic introduced products named after BTS, such as VT X BTS Collagen Pact and VT X BTS Jumbo Toothbrush Kit. The success of the collagen pact has prompted the brand to release a full skincare and makeup advertised by the K-pop sensation.



BTS members are also the face of L&P Cosmetics' mask sheet pack brand Mediheal.



Earlier this month, L&P Cosmetics launched a limited edition product called "Mediheal Love Capsule in Mask." The product, priced at 15,000 won, proved to be so popular that all 2,000 boxes sold out in just three hours after they were made available.



"Apart from offering additional supplies, we are planning to hold BTS-related promotional events both in stores and through social media," an L&P Cosmetics official said.





Juun.J's white mix rubber sole sneakers / Courtesy of Samsung C&T