PURESEOUL, the UK’s leading specialist retailer for Korean cosmetics, entered a new phase of growth in 2025, with the support of a £4.1m deal with HSBC UK.
The seven-figure funding package supported the launch of three new retail locations in 2025 – marking a major milestone in PURESEOUL’s mission to make ‘K-beauty’ products more accessible. This expansion included stores in Cambridge and Westfield Stratford, along with the retailers first multi-storey flagship store on London’s iconic Carnaby Street.
In addition to new store openings, the funding will further support IT development, including an inventory management facility to ensure efficient stock handling as the business continues to scale.
The total expansion is expected to create up to 100 new jobs across customer service and warehouse operations. The business is expected to see a 90 per cent increase in turnover within the next 12 months.
Leslie Tang, CEO at PURESEOUL, said: “Since opening our first physical store in 2022, PURESEOUL has grown more than 500% YOY, transforming from a niche online destination to the UK’s largest and most established K-Beauty curator. The response from our community has been incredible, with our Q1 store openings such as Stratford Westfield drawing a record-breaking 1,500 PURESEOUL customers from across the country.
We’re grateful to HSBC UK and their dedicated team for the support as we continue to build momentum, marked most recently by the opening of our Carnaby flagship – a milestone moment for PURESEOUL and the UK beauty retail market.”
Salem Brooks Appleton, relationship manager at HSBC UK, added: “We’re proud to be supporting PURESEOUL at such a pivotal stage in its growth journey. The business’s rapid rise and strong brand presence in the UK’s beauty market is a testament to its vision and understanding of consumer trends.
“The funding has not only helped PURESEOUL scale its retail footprint but also strengthen the business’s operational infrastructure to meet growing demand. We’re excited to be part of the continued success and look forward to seeing the impact of this next phase of expansion.”
PURESEOUL is a specialist retailer bringing the best of Korean beauty to the UK, both online and in-store. Founded in 2019 as an e-commerce platform to address the lack of accessible K-Beauty products, the company has transformed into a fast-expanding retail brand with nine stores and more on the way before the end of the year.
