Mimi Box Launches Kaja in the UK TikTok Shop

Kaja, the makeup brand by global K-beauty company Mimi Box, initiated sales on the UK TikTok Shop in July, marking its entry into the European market. Mimi Box aims to leverage its extensive experience in online and offline retail across major platforms such as Amazon and TikTok in the U.S. to establish the UK as a strategic hub for its European expansion.

With this launch, Kaja plans to expand its sales foundation in the UK, focusing on content commerce. The brand is also pursuing placement in Selfridges, a premier department store in the UK, to broaden its presence in the local market based on consumer responses and sales data gathered online.

Launched in 2018 as the first K-beauty brand co-developed by Mimi Box and Sephora, Kaja originally debuted with color cosmetics exclusively at Sephora. It subsequently built a robust online sales infrastructure through major e-commerce channels including Amazon and TikTok, and has expanded its offline distribution network with entries into retailers like Ulta Beauty. Kaja has recently also entered Olive Young stores in Pasadena and Century City in the U.S., further enhancing its reach to North American consumers.

Notably, Kaja's flagship product, the 'Beauty Bento,' is a compact palette featuring three stacked eyeshadows and has recorded over 1.48 million units sold. On June 24, it achieved the number one sales rank in the eyeshadow category on the U.S. TikTok Shop, with creator content related to the product amassing over one million views, underscoring both product demand and the potential for conversion to sales.

Mimi Box plans to replicate its validated growth model from the U.S. in the UK market. The company will handle product strategy and creator/content marketing, while its local distribution partner, OrienTrade, will manage inventory, logistics, and sales operations. The two entities will share real-time sales data and inventory turnover rates to refine product offerings and supply chain strategies.

Hyangseok Ha, CEO of Mimi Box, remarked that “Kaja has proven its product competitiveness and channel expansion potential through American platforms like Amazon and TikTok Shop.” He added that the company aims to replicate its successful growth model in major European markets, establishing a sustainable distribution structure based on local sales data.

Mimi Box operates several proprietary brands including Nooni, Kaja, I’m Meme, I Dew Care, and Pony Effect. Founded in Los Angeles with an office in Seoul, Mimi Box was selected for Y Combinator in 2014, becoming the first Korean company to achieve this distinction. Its brands are sold through key North American retail channels including Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Target, Amazon, and Olive Young. In addition, it collaborates with global distribution partners such as EOEO, Silicon2, Craver, Sunsmile, AnyMind, OrienTrade, and SL Life to expand its distribution in key markets including the U.S., Japan, Europe, and Southeast Asia.