Amorepacific Group (090430.KS) posted gains in both revenue and operating profit in the first quarter, driven by growth in its derma beauty brands and strong sales through global channels.
Holding company Amorepacific Holdings (002790.KS) said Tuesday in a regulatory filing that first-quarter consolidated operating profit rose 6.9% year-on-year to 137.8 billion won ($101 million), while revenue increased 5% to 1.22 trillion won ($898 million). The rebound was driven by solid growth at major derma beauty brands including Estra, COSRX, and Illiyoon, expansion on Amazon in North America, strong performance in the Japanese market, and improved profitability in the domestic business, according to the company.
Flagship affiliate Amorepacific led the group's earnings improvement, with operating profit up 7.6% to 126.7 billion won and revenue up 6.4% to 1.14 trillion won over the same period. Estra, the group's leading derma brand, posted triple-digit revenue growth year-on-year in North America as its A-Cica line gained traction. The brand also newly entered 17 European countries, accelerating its global expansion. New growth brands such as Illiyoon and Mise-en-scène saw sales more than triple as key products ranked among the top sellers during Amazon's "Big Spring Sale."
Domestic revenue rose 9% and operating profit jumped 65%, significantly improving profitability. Sulwhasoo saw sales increase across all online and offline channels on the back of Lunar New Year gift demand, while Hera posted double-digit growth in multi-brand shops (MBS) and online channels, led by cushion and lip products. Estra set a record high in sales at Olive Young, and Laneige expanded sales centered on MBS channels thanks to strong new product sales.
Overseas revenue rose 6%, but operating profit fell 18% due to increased marketing investments to drive expansion of new brands. In North America, COSRX and Estra continued their growth through strong product sales and portfolio diversification, while IOPE delivered notable results from its new entry into Sephora. In the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, COSRX also recorded high revenue growth, and Estra grew sales through entry into new countries. In Japan and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets, sales increased centered on Laneige and derma beauty brands, while Greater China saw sales decline due to offline channel optimization.
Beauty brand affiliates including Innisfree, Etude, and eSpoir saw revenue and operating profit decline due to offline channel restructuring, while other affiliates such as Osulloc posted gains in both revenue and operating profit by expanding product lineups tied to the latest dessert trends.
Amorepacific Group said it is pursuing five strategic tasks: cultivating core global markets, strengthening integrated beauty solutions, developing bio-based anti-aging technology, agile organizational innovation, and AI-driven business transformation.
