Goongbe partners with Aster Pharmacy for offline rollout across UAE
Goongbe is exporting products across 14 categories, including sun protection and baby‑ and child‑focused skincare lines, targeting UAE families and health‑conscious consumers.
UAE – Goongbe, owned by Seoul‑based Zero to Seven, has secured offline shelf space in 62 Aster Pharmacy outlets across the UAE, with plans to broaden that footprint as consumers respond.
The brand is also listed on MyAster UAE, Aster’s regional omni‑channel app and online store, giving it e‑commerce and digital‑prescription‑adjacent visibility alongside Aster’s wider health‑and‑wellness portfolio.
Aster DM Healthcare operates an integrated network of around 15 hospitals, over 120 clinics and 300+ pharmacies in the Middle East, underpinned by the MyAster app, one of the region’s leading healthcare‑focused omni‑channel platforms.
By aligning Goongbe with this network, the Korean brand gains not just pharmacy distribution but also access to Aster’s digital patient‑care ecosystem, which is being scaled to reach 75 million people annually over the next five years.
Zero to Seven stated, “The UAE is one of the most developed markets in the Middle East in terms of consumer purchasing power and distribution infrastructure, serving as a test bed for global brands.”
“We plan to expand our presence in overseas markets as a premium infant skincare brand.”
This is Goongbe’s first major structured entry into the Middle East, leveraging Aster’s physical and digital infrastructure to bypass standalone retail negotiations and accelerate trial in a fragmented beauty‑and‑pharma‑adjacent market.
The story also intersects with broader narrative threads: the growth of K‑beauty in GCC pharmacy channels, the monetization of healthcare‑retail “omni‑channel” ecosystems, and how regional networks such as Aster’s are becoming distribution gateways for international FMCG and beauty brands eyeing the GCC and beyond.
The UAE skincare market is valued at about USD 423 million in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 638.9 million by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.3% between 2026 and 2032, according to a report by Verified Market Research.
This makes skincare one of the fastest-expanding segments in the UAE’s beauty industry, driven by premium demand, climate-specific needs, and rising interest in organic and dermatology-backed products.
Late last year, CJ Olive Young formed a strategic partnership with the UAE’s Life Healthcare Group (LHG), the parent company of Life Pharmacy, to boost the Korean beauty (K-Beauty) sector across the UAE and the wider GCC region.
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