From TikTok to Travel Retail – Building the Next Generation Beauty Brand
4 minutes read
Introduction by: Peter Marshall
Few beauty brands have scaled as quickly as Korean skincare sensation Anua. Founded in 2019 by Seoul-based global brand incubator The Founders, the brand has grown from a digital-first concept fuelled by ingredient-led innovation into one of K-beauty’s fastest-growing global success stories, with more than 40 million products sold worldwide.
Now Anua is taking the next step, expanding rapidly across travel retail across airports, cruise retail and inflight. But rather than viewing the channel simply as another route to market, the company believes it has a unique role to play in turning digital discovery into long-term brand loyalty.
Ahead of further international expansion, TRunblocked.com’s Colleen Morgan spoke with Soo Song, Head of Travel Retail, about K-beauty’s global rise, why travel retail needs to evolve and how brands built online are reshaping beauty retail.
Colleen Morgan (CM): Anua has grown from a digital-first Korean skincare brand into a global phenomenon. What’s been the biggest driver behind that success?
Soo Song (SS): The key driver is that Anua listens closely to consumers and responds quickly with products that are gentle, effective and easy to understand. Our philosophy is built around “Ask” and “Answer”: we identify real skincare concerns and develop formulas that address them.
That has helped us build trust. Consumers today are highly ingredient-aware and want products that are simple, effective and transparent. Anua combines those insights with K-beauty innovation, whether through Heartleaf, PDRN or barrier-focused skincare.
Before entering travel retail, Anua had already built strong momentum across digital platforms and major beauty retailers. By the time travellers encounter the brand in an airport, cruise ship or downtown duty-free store, it already feels familiar, credible and relevant.
CM: You describe travel retail as pivotal to Anua’s global ambitions. What does the channel offer that domestic retail simply can’t?
SS: Travel retail gives Anua something domestic retail cannot replicate: access to a global audience in motion. Our expansion into Heathrow’s T3, T4 and T5 introduces the brand to international travellers who may never encounter it in Korea or the US.
The same applies to partnerships with Harding+ and SkyShop, creating moments of discovery that traditional retail cannot offer. Travel retail allows us to engage travellers when they are most open to discovering something new from a different culture.
CM: Anua isn’t simply another K-beauty brand entering travel retail. It’s a digital-native phenomenon making the leap into physical retail. What convinced you the brand was ready?
SS: What convinced us was the strength of the evidence. Anua is not entering travel retail as an untested online brand. It has already built significant scale across Korea, Japan, the US and Europe, with strong global retail partnerships and a fast-growing consumer base.
Our performance in Korean duty free was equally important. It gave us a proof of concept: strong sell-through from day one and rapid growth month by month. That tells us the brand can convert in a travel retail environment, not just generate awareness online.
The opportunity for travel retail is to capture demand that is already being created digitally. Travellers are discovering Anua before they travel. Travel retail can then become the place where discovery turns into purchase, trial and routine-building.
CM: Consumers now discover beauty brands on TikTok and Instagram long before they enter an airport. How is that changing the role of travel retail?
SS: Brand-building is no longer a linear process. Consumers now discover products through creator content, reviews and social media long before they reach a store. Viral attention may create trial, but repeat purchase comes from trust.
That changes the role of travel retail. Rather than acting as the first point of discovery, it now validates what consumers already know, creating a physical experience that turns awareness into purchase. That means stronger digital storytelling, social-first merchandising, QR codes, travel-exclusive sets and knowledgeable staff who understand why a product is trending.
As we often say: “Discovered on TikTok. Found in duty free.” That is exactly where the channel needs to go.
CM: As Anua expands across airports and cruise retail, what factors are proving most important in securing new listings?
SS: The first is proven performance. Retailers want to know that the brand can sell, and Anua has strong evidence through major domestic and international retail partnerships, Korean duty-free sell-through, and early launches in locations such as Heathrow, Harding+ and SkyShop.
The second factor is operational readiness. Travel retail is complex, so retailers need to know that a brand can support the channel properly with accurate forecasting, trade marketing assets, shelf compliance and a sound margin structure.
Retailers are looking for brands that resonate with younger travellers and create excitement in skincare. Alongside hero products and ingredient-led innovation such as PDRN, we support every listing with activations, influencer campaigns, KOL events, pop-ups and media. It isn’t simply product placement – it’s demand-building.
CM: The appointment of Kendall Jenner as Anua’s first global brand ambassador has to be a milestone for the brand. How do you think that will play out in travel retail?
SS: Absolutely, yes. Kendall Jenner’s appointment significantly increases Anua’s global visibility while keeping the focus firmly on skincare. Familiar visual assets and strong brand cues help travellers stop, engage and try the products.
The important thing is connecting awareness to conversion. Shoppers should immediately understand why Heartleaf, why PDRN, why Anua – and why now? That is where travel retail can turn awareness into purchase.
CM: With Gen Z and Generation Alpha reshaping the beauty industry, how is Anua adapting its products, marketing and retail strategy to meet their expectations?
Gen Z and Gen Alpha expect brands to be transparent, authentic and fast-moving. They research ingredients, compare reviews and respond to brands that feel culturally relevant.
Our products combine gentle, effective formulas with clear ingredient stories. Our PDRN line is a good example, taking a science-backed ingredient associated with regenerative skincare and making it accessible through daily-use products.
Our marketing focuses on creator content, social storytelling, KOL events and collaborations. In-store, we bring that to life through experiences, pop-ups, immersive activations and visually engaging displays.
CM: Looking ahead, what does success in travel retail look like over the next three to five years?
SS: Success means becoming one of the leading K-beauty skincare brands in global travel retail through quality distribution, strong sell-through and consistent execution.
Travel retail reaches international consumers at a moment of openness and discovery, accelerating awareness while introducing routines through hero products and travel-exclusive sets.
For Anua, success is not only about more doors. It’s about building long-term brand equity so travellers discover Anua on their journey and continue using it long after they return home. Travel retail can become a global showcase for our innovation and future ingredient platforms.
