[April19KOREAWAVE]CJ Olive Young, a major Korean drugstore, has recently introduced portable translators capable of real-time interpretation in 16 languages ​​at sales floors nationwide. The aim is to provide better shopping services and specialized curation to foreign customers, who are the core consumer group of K-Beauty, and to improve the work efficiency of store staff.

As interest in K-beauty grows thanks to the popularity of K-content, Olive Young has become a must-visit shopping destination for foreign tourists visiting Korea. In fact, 3.7 million foreign customers received tax exemptions at Olive Young last year. Approximately 8.8 million foreigners visited South Korea for sightseeing last year, and approximately half of them visited Olive Young and purchased K-beauty products.

Last year, Olive Young’s foreign sales increased by about 6.6 times compared to the previous year, and about 4 times compared to 2019, before the coronavirus. In addition to traditional tourist trade areas such as Myeong-dong, Hongdae, and Dongdaemun, there are many other tourist areas such as Gangnam, Seongsu, Busan, and Jeju. It is analyzed that the number of foreign customers visiting the store led to a rapid increase in sales. Unlike in the past, when the proportion of Chinese customers was high, the recent diversification into Japan, Southeast Asia, the Anglo-American region, the Middle East, etc. has also helped.

The portable translators installed in Olive Young’s sales floor can provide simultaneous interpretation in 16 languages, including Japanese, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, and Mongolian. There is also a real-time translation function that utilizes the camera installed in the translator. Since it recognizes photos and screen captures and translates the content, it can easily and accurately recommend products and ingredients that customers are looking for. Frequently asked questions, conversation records, etc. can be saved and used for prompt response, and it can be used without Wi-Fi and can guide customers while moving along their flow.

An Olive Young official said, “In order to provide foreign customers visiting Olive Young with a service that doesn’t create a language barrier, we have decided to introduce portable translators to sales floors across the country.Through this, the K-Beauty small and medium-sized brand will We would like to have the opportunity to be recognized by people in more countries and expand into the global market.”

(c)KOREA WAVE/AFPBB News