CJ America

What CJ America does

CJ America is the U.S. regional subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate CJ Group, operating across four sectors: Food & Food Services, Bio & Pharma, Entertainment & Media, and Shopping & Logistics. Headquartered in Los Angeles with operations extending to Bloomington, California (Olive Young's first U.S. logistics center), the company anchors CJ Group's North America presence with 10,000+ employees. Its portfolio includes sub-brands Tous Les Jours (French-Asian bakery franchise with locations including Madison Square Park NYC), bibigo (global K-food brand with TikTok activations via SEVENTEEN), CJ ENM (production and distribution of K-dramas and films including Park Chan-wook's "Decision to Leave" and "The Handmaiden"), CJ 4DPLEX (SCREENX 270-degree panoramic and 4DX immersive cinema technologies deployed with partners including Cinemark across 20 new locations), Olive Young (K-beauty retail expanding to the U.S. via a Sephora partnership and a May 2026 Los Angeles store opening), FIFTH SEASON (production studio behind "Severance," an eight-Emmy winner), KCON (K-culture convention; KCON LA 2026 scheduled August 14-16 at Crypto.com Arena and LA Convention Center), and the PGA TOUR's The CJ Cup Byron Nelson sponsorship, which won the PGA TOUR Best Title Sponsor Integration Award and Best Sponsorship Award.

The company makes money through a diversified multi-stream model rather than a single pricing structure. Revenue mechanics include food and consumer product sales via the Schwan's Company acquisition (CJ Food America) and bibigo distribution; hardware sales and technology licensing for SCREENX and 4DX cinema installations; entertainment content licensing and production revenue through CJ ENM and FIFTH SEASON; retail and e-commerce via Olive Young and the Sephora K-beauty platform; franchise royalties and direct bakery sales at Tous Les Jours; and advertising/sponsorship revenue tied to KCON LA ticketed events and The CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by brand, product category, and market segment. The company serves both consumer end-markets (K-Culture enthusiasts, K-Beauty consumers, food consumers) and B2B partners (theater chains and film studios via CJ 4DPLEX). Ownership reflects a Korean chaebol model: CJ Cheiljedang, listed on KOSPI, is the major operating parent; in June 2021 CJ Cheiljedang repurchased private-equity partner Bain Capital's 27.14% stake in CJ Food America for $438 million, achieving full ownership of U.S. food operations following the 2019 Schwan's acquisition. U.S. leadership includes Vice Chairwoman Miky Lee, who received the 2025 Newport Beach Film Festival Arts Champion Award for contributions to arts and entertainment.

Name

CJ America

Legal name

CJ America

Website

https://cjamerica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

CJ America is the U.S. regional subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate CJ Group, operating across food and food services, entertainment and media, and shopping and logistics. It anchors an integrated K-culture platform spanning the Tous Les Jours bakery franchise, bibigo K-food brand, Olive Young K-beauty retail, CJ ENM content production, and CJ 4DPLEX cinema technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diversified Conglomerate

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (42447), Other Food Manufacturing (3119)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

DTC Specialty & Ethnic Food Delivery (AFAIANAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soups, Broths & Meal Starters (CRADAAAF), Ground & Formed Meat Products Manufacturing (Burgers, Sausages, Meatballs) (AFAKALAE)

Keywords

• Korean food products
• K-beauty retail
• Immersive cinema technology
• Bakery franchises
• Korean entertainment media

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food & Consumer Products: Revenue from food manufacturing and consumer products including the Schwan's Company acquisition, Tous Les Jours bakery franchise operations, and bibigo branded food products distributed globally.
2. Entertainment & Media Content: Revenue from K-drama production and distribution, film investments, and entertainment content through CJ ENM including productions like 'Decision to Leave', 'The Handmaiden', and Park Chan-wook collaborations.
3. Cinema Technology & Exhibition: Revenue from CJ 4DPLEX's 4DX and SCREENX cinema technologies deployed in theater chains globally, including equipment sales, licensing fees, and technology integration services with partners like Cinemark.
4. Retail & E-commerce: Revenue from Olive Young retail stores and K-beauty e-commerce platform, including the Sephora partnership for global K-beauty expansion and first U.S. logistics center in Bloomington, California.
5. Events & Sponsorships: Revenue and brand exposure from organizing KCON LA events, The CJ Cup Byron Nelson golf tournament, and various cultural events that promote CJ brands globally.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CJ America is the US regional headquarters of CJ Group, operating diversified businesses across Food & Food Services (Tous Les Jours, bibigo, CJ Food America/Schwan's), Bio & Pharma, Entertainment & Media (CJ ENM, FIFTH SEASON), and Shopping & Logistics (Olive Young). The company produces and distributes Korean-branded food products, operates bakery and K-beauty retail networks, produces film and television content, and licenses premium immersive cinema technologies (SCREENX and 4DX) to theater operators.

Product overview

CJ America operates as a diversified conglomerate with multiple business units spanning entertainment technology (CJ 4DPLEX with SCREENX and 4DX cinema technologies), entertainment and media (CJ ENM producing K-dramas and films), K-beauty retail (Olive Young with global expansion), food and bakery (Tous Les Jours, bibigo K-food brand, and CJ Food America including Schwan's Company), and K-culture event platforms (KCON festival and THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson sports sponsorship). The portfolio includes both wholly-owned brands and affiliated companies across food, beauty, entertainment, and lifestyle sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tous Les Jours: French-Asian bakery chain offering freshly baked breads, pastries, and desserts
• CJ ENM
• CJ 4DPLEX
• Olive Young
• bibigo
• KCON
• THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

Products and services

• SCREENX

Quantifiable outcome

• KCON LA 2025 was a major K-culture convention attracting thousands of attendees with global streaming coverage
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SephoracoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Olive Young, part of CJ Group, partnered with Sephora to expand the global K-beauty platform. This partnership leverages Sephora's global retail presence to distribute Olive Young's K-beauty and wellness products to international consumers, marking a significant expansion of CJ's beauty business.
• CinemarkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CJ 4DPLEX and Cinemark expanded their relationship to deploy 20 new SCREENX locations across Cinemark's global theater footprint. SCREENX provides a 270-degree panoramic cinema experience using multi-projection technology, enhancing the premium movie-going experience.
• Crypto.com ArenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKCON LA 2026 will be held at Crypto.com Arena and Los Angeles Convention Center, providing the venue for one of the largest K-culture conventions outside Korea featuring concerts, panels, food experiences, and beauty activations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Studio Dragon: Leading Korean drama production studio behind hits like 'Crash Landing on You' and 'Sweet Home'; competes with CJ ENM for K-content production budgets and global streaming licensing deals.
• Amorepacific: Korea's largest K-beauty manufacturer and retailer with global expansion; competes directly with Olive Young as a Korean beauty brand entering Western markets through selective retail partnerships.
• IMAX Corporation: Premium large-format cinema exhibitor with global theater partnerships and Hollywood studio deals; closely comparable to CJ 4DPLEX as a cinema technology licensor competing for premium-format exhibitor relationships.
• Paris Baguette: SPC Group's Korean bakery cafe chain with US franchise footprint; directly comparable to Tous Les Jours as a French-Asian style Korean bakery expanding through franchise locations.

Broad incumbents

• Conagra Brands: Major US frozen and packaged food manufacturer (Birds Eye, Healthy Choice, Marie Callender's); comparable to Schwan's legacy frozen food portfolio within CJ Food America.
• Dolby Laboratories: Premium audio-visual cinema technology licensor (Dolby Atmos, Dolby Cinema) deployed in global theater chains; comparable to CJ 4DPLEX as a cinema technology platform competing for premium-format installations.
• Lotte Group: Korean conglomerate spanning food manufacturing (Lotte Confectionery), retail (Lotte Mart), entertainment, and chemicals; comparable to CJ America as a diversified Korean conglomerate with US entertainment and consumer brand presence.
• CJ Cheiljedang: Korean parent conglomerate operating the food, entertainment, and logistics businesses from which CJ America's portfolio is derived; most directly comparable as the consolidated entity housing bibigo, CJ ENM, and CJ 4DPLEX globally.

Regional players

• Hyundai Department Store: Korean retail and lifestyle conglomerate operating department stores, food distribution, and lifestyle brands; comparable to CJ America as a Korean multi-brand lifestyle platform, though primarily domestic-focused.

Emerging players

• Hybe: Korean entertainment company behind BTS and other global K-pop acts; comparable as a Korean entertainment IP owner leveraging K-culture global demand, overlapping with CJ ENM's content and KCON event ecosystems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CJ America