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Zero Pore Pad 2.0 Hits the Shelves at US Costco
Medicube, the core skincare brand of Korean beauty company APR, is set to roll out across Costco stores nationwide in the US starting September 2026. According to a CNBC report on August 31 local time, the retailer will feature Medicube’s flagship product, the Zero Pore Pad 2.0. Landing a spot in a major membership warehouse club like Costco marks a fresh chapter for Medicube, bridging the massive online buzz it has built with the everyday reality of America’s brick-and-mortar retail market.
This launch is the brand’s fourth major US retail milestone, following its debut at Ulta Beauty last August, Target in April, and Walmart in June. From specialized beauty retailers to mass discounters, supercenters, and now warehouse clubs, Medicube is steadily widening its physical footprint. Each of these retail channels attracts a different core demographic and shopping style. By stepping into these varied environments, the brand is crafting a resilient sales foundation that doesn’t rely solely on a single online platform or one specific type of physical store.
Costco operates on a membership model built around bulk goods and a highly curated product selection. Rolling out nationwide means Medicube will catch the eye of not just the savvy shoppers who discovered the brand online, but also the everyday members making their regular warehouse runs. American consumers are now going to encounter the brand not just through a search bar, but right in the middle of their routine grocery trips.
Record-Breaking Growth Driven by North American Sales
APR’s second-quarter revenue in 2026 surged 134.2% year-over-year to hit 767.5 billion won, while operating profit climbed 134.5% to 190.6 billion won. Both figures more than doubled compared to the same period last year. Notably, overseas sales accounted for a staggering 91.8% of total revenue. APR has successfully shed its identity as a primarily domestic player, transforming into a true global beauty powerhouse where international sales drive the vast majority of its performance.
North American revenue alone reached 376.3 billion won, making up 49% of the total. Essentially, half of the company’s Q2 earnings came straight from North America. The region is no longer just a secondary market for APR; it is the core engine dictating the company’s bottom line. The aggressive move to secure Costco—following Ulta Beauty, Target, and Walmart—reads as a deliberate strategy to channel this proven North American demand into an even broader physical retail space.
The online momentum has been equally fierce. According to APR, Medicube was among the most searched keywords across all product categories during Amazon Prime Day from June 23 to 26. It didn’t just rank high within the beauty section; it captured search interest across the entire platform. The Costco launch represents a golden opportunity to convert this massive online awareness into physical foot traffic and purchases. At the same time, it serves as a crucial test of the brand’s operational muscle to seamlessly supply products coast-to-coast.
The company’s valuation has also skyrocketed. APR’s market capitalization has soared to approximately 17.3 trillion won (about $12.5 billion). To put that into perspective, it’s roughly twice the size of Amorepacific and more than triple that of LG Household & Health Care. APR’s stock price has jumped about 100% since the start of 2026 alone. The company recently bumped its annual revenue forecast from 2.1 trillion won to 3 trillion won, anticipating around 1.3 trillion won from the US market alone. Clearly, market expectations are moving in lockstep with the company’s tangible earnings and its expanding American footprint.
The US Emerges as K-Beauty’s Top Export Market
Medicube’s aggressive expansion mirrors the broader surge of the Korean cosmetics industry in the US. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Korea’s cosmetic exports hit a record-breaking $7 billion in the first half of 2026, a 27.3% increase from the previous year. Exports to the US reached $1.45 billion, capturing 20.7% of the total and making it the single largest destination country. As the US solidifies its status as K-beauty’s primary export market, Medicube is seamlessly scaling both its digital storefronts and major physical retail channels simultaneously.
Landing on Costco’s shelves is much more than a Korean brand simply adding another vendor to its list. Medicube is taking the search momentum it generated on Amazon and parlaying it into Ulta Beauty, Target, Walmart, and now Costco. A brand that consumers once had to actively hunt down on specific websites is now continually popping up in familiar American retail spaces. It is a very tangible milestone proving that K-beauty is transitioning from a viral online trend to a staple consumer good stocked in mainstream, everyday US stores.
The challenge now lies in maintaining sales velocity post-launch and turning that initial online curiosity into loyal, repeat purchases. APR’s lofty forecasts—3 trillion won in annual revenue and 1.3 trillion won from the US—will heavily depend on how well this retail expansion performs in the second half of the year. The September Costco rollout is more than just another bullet point on Medicube’s US resume. It is a critical proving ground to see if the company’s soaring valuation and ambitious growth projections hold up against real-world consumer demand.
Sources: CNBC, August 31, 2026; APR Press Release, August 5, 2026; Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Press Release, July 3, 2026.
