CJ Group Chairman Lee Jae-hyun Visits First U.S. Store of CJ Olive Young in California

SEOUL, May 31 (Yonhap) -- CJ Group Chairman Lee Jae-hyun visited CJ Olive Young Corp.'s first U.S. store in California and called for efforts to promote healthy and stylish lifestyles among American consumers, the company said Sunday. During the visit, Lee described the launch of the health and beauty retailer's first U.S. outlet as a "first step" toward expanding in the United States, the world's largest consumer market, according to the retail and entertainment conglomerate. The 803-square-meter store is located in a major commercial district in Pasadena and will offer around 5,000 products from approximately 400 beauty and wellness brands. CJ Olive Young said it plans to open five additional offline stores in the U.S. over the next year, beginning on the West Coast and gradually expanding to the East Coast, including New York. Before his visit to Los Angeles, Lee toured CJ Cheiljedang's U.S. operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, marking his first visit to the site in seven years. He also attended the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, an annual PGA Tour held in Texas. Lee is expected to remain in the U.S. until early next month to assess the competitiveness of future content businesses, including ScreenX and 4DX, and discuss potential global partnerships, according to company officials.