Innisfree (
Hangul
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...
: 이니스프리) is a South Korean cosmetics brand owned and founded by
Amore Pacific
Amorepacific Corporation is a South Korean beauty and cosmetics chaebol, operating more than 30 beauty, personal care, and health brands including Sulwhasoo, Laneige, Mamonde, Etude House, AMOREPACIFIC and Innisfree. The firm was founded in 19 ...
in 2000. The brand name derives from Irish poet
W. B. Yeats
William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...
' poem, 'The
Lake Isle of Innisfree'. Innisfree has stores in South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Innisfree is popular for its affordability and brand concept, which emphasizes healthy and reasonably priced beauty products with ingredients responsibly sourced from
Jeju Island, South Korea. Innisfree was the first
K-beauty brand to launch two inclusive cushion foundation lines with 14 shades.
History
''Innisfree'' was launched by the largest skincare and cosmetics company in South Korea,
Amore Pacific
Amorepacific Corporation is a South Korean beauty and cosmetics chaebol, operating more than 30 beauty, personal care, and health brands including Sulwhasoo, Laneige, Mamonde, Etude House, AMOREPACIFIC and Innisfree. The firm was founded in 19 ...
, in 2002 and was marketed as the manufacturer's first eco-friendly brand. The brand name originates from
W. B. Yeats
William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...
' poem, 'The
Lake Isle of Innisfree'.
Expansion
Amore Pacific opened its first brand road-shop in 2005 and its 100th in 2007.
Asia
The brand's first flagship store opened in
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
on April 25, 2012. The company expanded and in 2013, opened stores in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
and
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. The first Indian store was opened in
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
on October 10, 2013 and the first Singaporean store on November 22, 2013. By 2014, the company had over 80 stores in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
and
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. In the first half of 2014, Amore Pacific planned on boosting the brand's sales in
Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
and opened a second store months after launching in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, aiming to make Innisfree the country's biggest South Korean skincare and cosmetics brand. On December 5, 2014, Innisfree opened its first store in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. In its fifteenth year, the brand was launched in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
and Innisfree opened its largest flagship store at Hongyi Square in
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, with over 108 stores in the country by the end of the year. The first store in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
was opened in November 2016, while the first store in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
opened two years later.
North America
In 2017, the brand began expanding in the West and launched its first store in the United States on September 15, 2017, in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. Innisfree expanded its number of stores in the United States with the opening of another location in Manhattan on October 5, 2018. In May 2021, Amore Pacific announced that all North American Innisfree stores will close due to the negative impact the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
had on the market. However, Innisfree products will continue to be available via
Sephora
Sephora is a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products. Featuring nearly 340 brands, along with its own private label, Sephora Collection, Sephora offers beauty products including cosmetics, skincare, body, fragrance, n ...
.
Sales
In 2011, the brand reported 140.5 billion won ($123.1 million) in sales from its 434 locations in South Korea.
In 2019, Innisfree's sales
revenue
In accounting, revenue is the total amount of income generated by the sale of goods and services related to the primary operations of the business.
Commercial revenue may also be referred to as sales or as turnover. Some companies receive reven ...
was 552 billion won (~$490.6 million), down from 600 billion (~$533.3 million) in 2018.
In 2020, Innisfree's reported its lowest
net profit
In business and accounting, net income (also total comprehensive income, net earnings, net profit, bottom line, sales profit, or credit sales) is an entity's income minus cost of goods sold, expenses, depreciation and amortization, interest, a ...
since 2013: approximately 10.22 billion won (~$9.06 million), down from about 48.87 billion won (~$43.3 million) in 2019.
Concept
Innisfree uses the slogan "Clean Island, where clean nature and healthy beauty coexist happily". The brand concept emphasises nature and eco-friendly practices.
Products
![Box of Korean cosmetics](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Box_of_Korean_cosmetics.jpg)
Innisfree is South Korea's first all-natural brand, and many of the products' ingredients are sourced from
Jeju Island. The company's products range from makeup to skin care products for women and for men. Innisfree's products include the Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask, Olive Real Cleansing Foam, and the Wine Peeling Jelly Softener.
Innisfree's best-selling product worldwide is the Green Tea Seed Serum.
In September 2020, Innisfree launched an anti-aging line, Black Tea Youth Enhancing, and expanded the line to the Singaporean market in January 2012.
Spokespersons and models
Innisfree has been endorsed by numerous celebrities since its launch in 2010. The brand's first model was
Han Chae-young
Kim Ji-young (born September 13, 1980), professionally known by the stage name Han Chae-young, is a South Korean actress. She first gained recognition as the antagonist in the television series ''Autumn in My Heart'' (2000) before gaining wider ...
. Actresses
Kim Tae-hee
Kim Tae-hee (; born 29 March 1980) is a South Korean actress. Considered one of South Korea's most beautiful actresses, she is best known for her roles in Korean dramas such as ''Stairway to Heaven'' (2003), ''Love Story in Harvard'' (2004), '' ...
and
Nam Sang-mi
Nam Sang-mi (born May 3, 1984) is a South Korean actress.
Career
Nam Sang-mi was working in a Lotteria restaurant near Hanyang University in the fall of 2001 when someone posted her personal photos on the internet. Her popularity as an ulzzang ...
have also endorsed the brand.
Since 2006, its notable spokespersons include actress
Song Hye-kyo
Song Hye-kyo (; born November 22, 1981) is a South Korean actress. She gained international popularity through her leading roles in the television dramas ''Autumn in My Heart'' (2000), '' All In'' (2003), ''Full House'' (2004), ''That Winter, th ...
, actress
Moon Geun-young
Moon Geun-young (; born May 6, 1987) is a South Korean actress. Affectionately called the "Nation's Little Sister," Moon began modeling at the age of 10, then made her acting debut in 1999 as a child actress. She first rose to stardom through he ...
,
Girls' Generation
Girls' Generation (), also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Originally a nine-piece ensembl ...
member
Yoona
Im Yoon-ah (; born May 30, 1990), known mononymously as Yoona, is a South Korean singer and actress. After training for five years, she debuted as a member of girl group Girls' Generation (and later its subgroup Girls' Generation-Oh!GG) in Aug ...
, actor
Lee Min-ho
Lee Min-ho (, born June 22, 1987) is a South Korean actor, singer, model, creative director and businessman. He gained widespread fame worldwide with his role as Gu Jun-pyo in ''Boys Over Flowers'' (2009) which also earned him the Best New Acto ...
,
Twice
Twice (; Japanese: トゥワイス, Hepburn: ''To~uwaisu''; commonly stylized as TWICE) is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of nine members: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaey ...
,
Loona
Loona (commonly stylized in all caps or as LOOΠΔ; ; ja, 今月の少女, Kongetsu no Shōjo, Girl of the Month) is a South Korean girl group formed by Blockberry Creative. The group was introduced to the public through a pre-debut project t ...
,
Wanna One
Wanna One () was a South Korean boy band formed by CJ E&M through the second season of ''Produce 101''. The group was composed of eleven members: Kang Daniel, Park Ji-hoon, Lee Dae-hwi, Kim Jae-hwan, Ong Seong-wu, Park Woo-jin, Lai Kuan-lin, Yo ...
and
Ahn Hyo-seop
Ahn Hyo-seop (born April 17, 1995) or Paul Ahn, is a Canadian actor and singer based in South Korea. He gained recognition for his main roles in the Korean dramas ''Still 17'' (2018), '' Abyss'' (2019), ''Dr. Romantic 2'' (2020), ''Lovers of th ...
.
In 2021, singer-songwriter
Stella Jang
Jang Seong-eun (Hangul: 장성은; born November 18, 1991), known professionally as Stella Jang ( ko, 스텔라장), is a South Korean singer-songwriter.
She graduated from Lycée Henri-IV and AgroParisTech. She got her name from her French teach ...
became an Innisfree cosmetics model. Recently, Innisfree unveiled its brand model
Shin Ye-eun
Shin Ye-eun (; born January 18, 1998) is a South Korean actress, best known for her role in the web series ''A-Teen'' and its sequel ''A-Teen 2''. She also starred in the television series '' He Is Psychometric'', ''Welcome'', and '' More Than ...
through a promotional video of its own brand's large-scale sale event'', "Inni-Super-Big-Sale,"'' which takes place once a year.
IVE (former
Iz*One
Iz*One ( ; ko, 아이즈원, Aijeuwon; ja, アイズワン, Aizuwan; stylized as IZ*ONE) was a South Korean–Japanese girl group formed through the Mnet reality competition show ''Produce 48''. The group was composed of twelve members: Jang ...
) member
Jang Won-young
Jang Won-young (; born August 31, 2004), known mononymously as Wonyoung, is a South Korean singer and model. She is a member of Ive under Starship Entertainment and is also a former member of project girl group Iz*One after finishing first in M ...
is the brand's global ambassador.
Social Responsibility Activities
* The empty bottle collection campaign: The empty bottle collection campaign is Innisfree's flagship Green Life campaign, which began in 2003. Customers can receive 300 Beauty Points for each empty bottle by returning the container of Innisfree products to the store. The number of empty bottles collected by 2020 is about 30,000, and in 2017, Innisfree opened an empty bottle space in an
upcycling
Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality, such as artistic value or environmental value ...
store that uses interior finishing materials using collected empty bottles.
* Upcycling Beauty: 'Upcycling Beauty' is a project that gives new value to discarded resources and recreates products with sincerity. In August 2018, we developed a body product using coffee foil, which was thrown away as the first project product, in collaboration with Anthracite, and in 2019, we developed a hairline with Jeju Beer. Recently, it secured Jeju Gujwa carrots, which cannot be sold from I'M Jeju, and launched an ugly carrot hand line made from carrot water and carrot oil extracted from carrots.
Paper Bottle Controversy
In 2020, Innisfree released a repackaged version of the Green Tea Seed Serum that said, "HELLO, I'M PAPER BOTTLE". In April 2021, a customer of the product accused Innisfree of "greenwashing" and posted photographs and comments on
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
revealing that the product was in a plastic bottle. The post went viral and led to consumer backlash that circulated in local media. Innisfree issued a public apology acknowledging that the labeling may be misleading and clarified that the packaging is recyclable and that "''paper bottle'' explain
the role of the paper label surrounding the bottle."
See also
*
Shopping in Seoul
Seoul, South Korea has many shopping areas and markets throughout the city, including Myeong-dong, Cheongdam-dong, Hongdae area, Dongdaemun and Namdaemun markets.
Markets and traditional
The largest market is the Dongdaemun Market, which ...
*
List of South Korean retail companies
This is a list of retailers based or operating in South Korea.
Bookstores
* Bandi & Luni's
* Books Libro
* Kyobo Book Centre
* Youngpoong Bookstore
Cosmetics and skincare
* Amorepacific Corporation
* Banila Co.
* BOONS - 신세계 분스
* The F ...
*
Cosmetics in Korea
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
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Amorepacific brands
Personal care brands
Products introduced in 2000