[Edaily Reporter SHIN MIN JOON ] “We will grow Arun into the ‘Musinsa’ of the junior lifestyle market.”

Lim Seong-bin (pictured), CEO of Arun, made these remarks in a recent interview with E-Daily, stating, “Arun is not simply a company that owns a few children’s brands; we aim to become a junior lifestyle platform where brands, customers, and content are organically connected.” He added, “Building on our proven brand competitiveness and customer base in Korea, we will expand our business into overseas markets such as Japan, China, and Singapore,” and noted, “Our goal is to achieve 100 billion won in revenue and 10 billion won in operating profit next year.”

Arn, a subsidiary of the KOSDAQ-listed company H.PIO Co.,Ltd(357230), was founded in 2009. It operates the infant and toddler apparel brand Apricot Studio, as well as School the Keepers for elementary school students and Micro Kickboard, a leading global kick scooter brand.

This year, Arnn is strengthening the competitiveness of its own brands while expanding its business foundation to grow into a platform. Arnn currently operates its own brands, including △ the junior apparel brands Apricot Studio and School the Keepers, and △ the skincare brand Arnn (arrnn).

CEO Lim stated, “In the case of Apricot Studio, the brand identity is centered on ‘warm and thoughtfully designed children’s clothing made by a father,’” adding, “A key feature is that we offer premium designs at a mass-market price point.”

He continued, “Designers with extensive experience in the children’s apparel sector are developing our products. We are continuously monitoring overseas markets, including Japan, to enhance our design competitiveness,” and noted, “We are currently in discussions to recruit a new creative director from Northern Europe to support our global expansion.”

Building on this competitive edge, Apricot Studio has maintained an average annual growth rate of 44% since the brand’s launch in 2020. It has approximately 230,000 Instagram followers and about 170,000 registered members on its official online store.

Revenue from fashion brands, including Apricot Studio, is projected to reach 30 billion won this year. This represents a nearly tenfold increase from the 3.2 billion won in revenue recorded when the brand first launched in 2020. Starting with the HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD Pangyo branch in 2024, Apricot Studio has successively opened stores in major department stores across the country, including The Hyundai Seoul and Shinsegae Co.,Ltd Gangnam branch. Apricot Studio is rapidly increasing its market presence, ranking among the top-selling children’s clothing brands at each location.

He said, “Apricot Studio, which grew primarily through Instagram and its own online store, is expanding its offline customer experience centered on nine major department stores and its flagship store in Seongsu-dong,” adding, “We plan to strategically increase the number of spaces where customers in major cities across the country can directly experience the brand’s design and quality.”

The steady growth of the domestic children’s apparel market is also working in Arun’s favor. As so-called “gold kids” consumption—where investment is concentrated on a single child in an era of low birth rates—spreads, the size of the domestic children’s apparel market is expanding. According to the Korea Textile Industry Federation, the domestic children’s apparel market reached 2.0323 trillion won last year, a 9% increase from the previous year (1.86 trillion won).

Arn is also seeking to expand its own brands, such as Apricot Studio, into overseas markets. CEO Lim said, “Following last year’s success, Arn opened an Apricot Studio pop-up store in a Japanese department store this year as well,” adding, “We received a positive response, with Apricot Studio’s Japanese Instagram account reaching approximately 24,000 followers.” He also noted, “In China, we plan to begin marketing efforts within the year in collaboration with local distribution partners,” and added, “We also plan to pursue expansion into Taiwan and Singapore in the future.”

Arn is also strengthening its micro-scooter business, which laid the foundation for the company’s growth. Arn holds the exclusive distribution rights for the Swiss mobility brand Micro in Korea and Japan and is continuously expanding its product lineup beyond scooters to include bicycles and luggage.

Arn is also expanding its product and business scope. Beyond apparel, Arn is broadening its fashion accessories lineup to include bags and sunglasses. The company is also launching full-scale operations in the beauty sector—including skincare—and in the content business utilizing the intellectual property (IP) of the “Togomi” character.

Arn plans to go beyond the growth of individual brands and transform into a junior lifestyle platform that connects various areas essential to the daily lives of children and families, including fashion, △sports, △beauty, △living, and △content. Just as Musinsa expanded the market ecosystem by connecting fashion brands with consumers, Arn envisions playing a role in supporting the growth of promising brands in the junior lifestyle market and providing customers with a wide range of choices.

“Arn’s vision is to become a global junior lifestyle platform where brands for children and families most actively connect with customers,” he said, adding, “Using Arn’s 1 million members as a starting point, we will create an ecosystem where even more promising junior brands can grow.”