South Korean retailers and travel agencies have resumed marketing that targets Chinese consumers following the lift in the ban on group travel to Korea.

Korean cosmetics manufacturer LG Household & Health Care Co. held an event in Shanghai this week to promote the renewal of a popular cosmetic line, Whoo Cheongidan under the brand, The History of Whoo, the company said Thursday.

It is the first time in about four years that the company has hosted a large-scale brand promotion event in China, one of the world’s largest beauty markets. The last such event for the in-house brand was held in Shanghai in 2019.

On the first day of the event, around 100 local celebrities and influencers, including Chinese singer and actor Fan Chengcheng, attended. The event was open to the public starting on the following day. The event will run until Sunday.

The Whoo Cheongidan cosmetic line is widely popular among Chinese consumers. LG Household intends to use the renewal of Whoo Cheongidan as a breakthrough in China to regain attention.

China is the largest market for LG Household. Until 2021, The History of Whoo maintained strong growth in China’s luxury cosmetics sector.

According to Hana Securities Co., LG Household’s sales in China reached about 1.15 trillion won ($870 million) in 2021, with The History of Whoo contributing nearly 80 percent of the revenue at 931.7 billion won.

However, the company’s sales took a sharp downturn after China’s zero-Covid policies in 2021. LG Household is estimated to have raised 300 billion won in sales in China in the first six months of this year and The History of Whoo about 250 billion won, only 26 percent of the level seen two years ago.

Korea’s cosmetics exports to China also declined by 26 percent last year, reaching $3.6 billion from $4.8 billion in 2021.

“Although there are uncertainties, we expect sales to recover to some extent,” said an official from LG Household. “We plan to boost marketing to expand consumer engagement.”

By Kim Hyo-hye, Kim Gyu-sik, and Chang Iou-chung

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]