Launching K-beauty in the US: which channel would you open first?

In every US-expansion conversation the first question ends up being "where do we sell first?" Each option has clear trade-offs.

Commonly cited pros and cons

Amazon: search demand already exists, but price competition and reviews are the grind
TikTok Shop: one creator can change everything, but results pile up on a few brands
Physical retail like Olive Young US: trust and trial, but high entry bar and logistics load
Your own site (D2C): customer data and margin, but you pay for every visitor

A common piece of advice is "build reviews and a sales record in one channel, then expand," but the order depends on product type and budget.

Poll

Vote and tell us why in the comments. We'd especially love to hear the order from people who've done it.