South Korean beauty company APR has more than doubled in value over the past year, helped by the growing US presence of its Medicube brand. The stock, however, fell just over 1% to 457,000 won on Monday.
The latest expansion comes with Medicube's planned entry into Costco stores across the US in September, adding another major retail chain to APR's growing distribution network.
Medicube Expands US Retail Footprint
Medicube's Zero Pore Pad 2.0, a skincare product aimed at cleansing pores, will be available across Costco stores in the US from September, APR told CNBC.
The Costco rollout follows a string of major US retail deals for Medicube. The brand entered Ulta Beauty last August, Target in April and Walmart in June.
The US has quickly become a key market for APR, with North American sales reaching 376.3 billion won in the June quarter, or 49% of its total revenue.
Medicube also drew strong attention on Amazon during the June 23-26 Prime Day sale. APR said “Medicube” was the most searched term across all product categories during the event.
Record Earnings Fuel APR Rally
The company reported June-quarter revenue of 767.5 billion won, up 134.2% from a year earlier. Operating profit jumped 134.5% to 190.6 billion won.
Overseas markets accounted for 91.8% of total revenue, highlighting the company's transformation into a global K-beauty player rather than a business primarily dependent on its domestic market.
APR, which listed on South Korea's benchmark Kospi in 2024, now has a market capitalisation of around 17.3 trillion won. That is nearly twice the size of longtime beauty major Amorepacific and more than three times the market value of LG Household & Health Care.
US Growth At Heart Of New Guidance
APR has raised its full-year revenue target to 3 trillion won from around 2.1 trillion won, helped by stronger US demand and further overseas expansion. Vice President Shin Jae-ha said US sales alone could reach about 1.3 trillion won this year.
The company is also benefiting from the broader K-beauty boom in the US. South Korea's cosmetics exports are estimated to have hit a record $7 billion in the first half of 2026, up 27.3% from a year earlier, according to the country's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
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