Retail

Korean beauty retailer deploys AI kiosks for international customers

Robert - stock.adobe.com

July 9, 2026

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CJ Olive Young, South Korea's largest health and beauty retailer, is deploying artificial intelligence-powered kiosks in its stores to improve the shopping experience for international customers as demand for K-beauty products continues to grow, according to a Korea Times report.

The company has begun installing AI shopping assistant kiosks at flagship locations with high volumes of foreign visitors. The kiosks feature AI avatars that converse with shoppers in eight languages, providing product information, inventory availability, store navigation and personalized recommendations based on skin type and preferences.

The kiosks are designed to reduce the need for staff assistance with routine inquiries, such as payment options and value-added tax refunds, allowing employees to focus on more specialized customer consultations. The system also provides store managers with analytics, including the types of questions customers ask most frequently and the amount of time they spend seeking information, helping optimize store operations and merchandising.

CJ Olive Young is also expanding its AI interpretation service, which supports real-time conversations between employees and customers in 38 languages. Building on a handheld translation device introduced in 2024, the updated system allows shoppers to communicate through QR codes or in-store tablets and is trained on K-beauty terminology to provide more accurate guidance on ingredients and product use. The retailer said it plans to expand its AI-powered customer service tools to stores nationwide.