This follows growing competition among South Korean convenience store chains to break out from conventional offerings and earn a bigger slice of the beauty market share.
In addition to the AI device, counters of GS25-exclusive brands, including Musinsa’s WHIZZY and Hatty by Son&Park, have also been set up to facilitate the purchase of products in stores.
Through this one-stop service, which will allow consumers to “experience, diagnose, and purchase” simultaneously, GS25 aims to drive new customer acquisition and increase sales of the beauty category.
Targeted at Millennial and Gen Z consumers, key features of the AI device include personal colour diagnosis, face shape and proportion analysis, and makeup and styling recommendations.
The first installation of the device is at the GS25 New Annyeong Insadong branch, with another one scheduled for the Gangnam Dongwon branch in September.
The company plans to expand the service to 10 stores by the end of the year.
“The AI beauty device is an experiential service that reflects the tastes and needs of the MZ generation. We have prepared for it to be implemented as a one-stop shop, where everything from beauty diagnosis to product purchase is possible all at once.
“We will continue to strengthen the competitiveness of our services and products so that convenience stores can evolve into lifestyle platforms providing various activities beyond simple product purchases,” said Song Jeong-hwan, manager of GS Retail’s Service Product Team.
As part of the launch, GS25 is offering free trials for the month of August, after which the usage fee would be KRW2,000 (USD1.45) — significantly lower-priced than personal colour analysis sessions in Korea, which typically costs between KRW100,000 (USD72) and KRW300,000 (USD218).
Precise personalisation
When a user faces the screen, a QHD (Quad High Definition) 5-megapixel camera precisely scans the skin, eye, and lip colours in approximately three seconds.
The AI device analyses skin brightness, saturation and colour temperature among others, to derive each individual’s personal colour.
Additionally, the analysis also comprises face shape, eye shape, lip thickness, nose width, and upper, middle, and lower face ratio. Based on this, the AI style consultant would suggest makeup, hair, and jewellery styles.
For instance, products such as blusher and lip balm that match the user’s personal colour will be recommended. These products come from a total of 14 brands exclusive to GS25, which can be purchased immediately in the store.
An online report of all the results can also be downloaded to the user’s phone via a QR code.
