Burt’s Bees Goes From Big-Box to Upscale

A best-selling item at the Burt’s Bees store in Seoul’s IFC Mall, a 0.6-ounce package of Res-Q ointment for cuts and scratches, sells for 18,000 won (about $15.47)—almost three times the U.S. retail price. A 113-gram tube of diaper cream goes for about $26; the average price in America is $10.

Located amid major retailers such as Armani Exchange, Jill Stuart, and Uniqlo, the store is one of 13 standalone boutiques the Clorox-owned brand operates outside the U.S. In Asia, where consumers place a premium on all-natural, gentle-on-the-skin beauty products, Burt’s Bees has great appeal. “They’re using less chemicals than some of the local brands here,” says Lee Jee Ha, who shops for her Burt’s Bees favorites, especially its baby oil, at any of several Seoul branches of South Korea’s Olive Young drugstore chain. Burt’s Bees is also found in upscale department stores such as the U.K.’s John Lewis and some drugstore chains in London.