(image: Hyundai Department Store)
SEOUL, May 15 (Korea Bizwire) — Hyundai Department Store announced on May 13 that it will be releasing a new virtual makeup service on its official online store, thehyundai.com.
The major department store chain partnered with Meitu, China’s top app developer, to accelerate its efforts to lead a retail tech trend in Korea by making use of emerging technologies to improve the customer experience.
Meitu’s virtual makeup app, MakeupPlus, was launched in 2015 and has racked up over 200 million downloads globally, while 14 million users utilize the app each month. In Korea alone, 500,000 users access the app each month.
This new service will allow customers to find perfect makeup products that match their skin tone, and place orders directly through the app without having to visit a retailer.
It will initially offer products from eight top makeup brands including Estee Lauder and Shu Uemura, with plans to eventually expand to 20 brands.
A total of 400 different products ranging from lipstick to eye shadow are on offer, allowing users to experiment with different shades of colors.
“Online customers prefer an interesting and unique experience rather than insignificant discounts,” said Hee-jun Lee, a senior manager at Hyundai Department Store’s e-commerce department to explain the company’s decision to focus more on creating new a shopping experience by combining Information technology (IT) with retail business.
Hyundai’s previous retail tech attempts, a ‘VR store’ and ‘AI powered recommendation service’, were successful. Customers who used these services were inclined to remain on the website 2.5 times longer than others who did not, and 95 percent used the service again.
by Olivia Lee (mjlee@koreabizwire.com)
