Would a K-beauty shop survive in a mid-sized Spanish city?
On r/askspain, someone asked whether a mid-sized city could support a shop specialising in Korean beauty. Their reasoning: chains such as Druni and Primor already reach small towns, and big cities have dedicated K-beauty stores, so they wanted to know whether people outside the capitals would visit a physical shop or keep ordering online, and what products they'd like to find.
What the replies said:
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The bluntest take: chain perfumeries already sell K-beauty, and in a town of 30,000 or 40,000 people with no Zara it makes no sense at all. Only Madrid, Barcelona or Valencia would work.
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Another person noted that a city the size of San Sebastián already counts as mid-sized, and that provincial capitals always have more services.
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Someone said a shop like this opened in Vitoria a few months ago and looks empty every time they walk past.
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One reply simply asked what K-beauty is, which says a lot about how niche it still is outside fans.
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A middle-ground idea: a general Korean goods store (food, stationery, beauty) might do better, though still niche.
The overall tone was sceptical: interest, yes, but not enough for a beauty-only shop outside the big cities.
Desk note: a thread with ten comments isn't market research, and Reddit tends to draw people with strong opinions. Still, one question keeps coming up that anyone opening a shop would need to answer: what does a specialist store offer that chains and online shopping don't (advice, testers, hard-to-find products)?
Is there a K-beauty shop in your city? Would you go to a physical store or do you prefer ordering online?
Original thread: r/askspain — room for a K-beauty shop in a mid-sized city?
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