John Lewis and Skin Cupid partner for exclusive Korean beauty launch
K-Beauty’s global rise has transformed skincare by driving demand for innovative, preventive routines and ingredients.
UK – John Lewis Partnership, a British company that operates John Lewis & Partners department stores, has forged an exclusive collaboration with Skin Cupid, the United Kingdom’s leading Korean beauty retailer, to roll out dedicated K-Beauty shop-in-shop experiences, strengthen its beauty category strategy.
The first Skin Cupid shop-in-shops will debut this summer in John Lewis stores located in Cambridge, Kingston, and Leeds, extending access to specialized Korean beauty advisors, known as “gurus”, to customers outside central London for the first time.
Complementing this, an array of 20 Korean skincare and haircare brands will launch online, featuring names like Beauty of Joseon, Medicube, Anua, Unove, Manyo, S.Nature, and Dr Different, with some available exclusively through this tie-up; select Beauty Halls will showcase handpicked ranges in physical spaces.
Melody Yuan, CEO at Skin Cupid, said, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with John Lewis to bring Korean beauty to more UK shoppers.”
“Their reputation for quality and the trust they’ve built with customers made them the natural home for Skin Cupid, and we cannot wait to bring our expertise, brands, and community spirit to shoppers across the UK.”
This move aligns with John Lewis’s ambitious £800 million (USD 1.01 billion) transformation plan, positioning beauty as a cornerstone for growth after achieving 42% sales uplift since 2020 and witnessing nearly 800% increase in online searches for Korean skincare over the last year.
Key enhancements include the MyJL Beauty loyalty initiative, which rewards members spending over £200 (USD 252) on beauty products with a £240 (USD 302) Edit Box containing items from Medik8, Elemis, and Laneige.
Additionally, the Beauty Society advisory service has expanded to nine stores, delivering unbiased, personalised consultations.
Evolving shopper demands, evidenced by surging searches for key ingredients, hyaluronic acid (up 127%), azelaic acid (up 110%), and peptides (up 91%), alongside beauty-tech like LED masks (up 75%), underpin these developments.
According to a Grand View Research report, the UK K-Beauty market was valued at USD 9.2 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 19.2 billion by 2033, expanding at a CAGR of 9.7%.
Skincare remains the largest segment, while haircare is forecasted to grow fastest.
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