Retail & Consumer Goods Archives | Be Korea-savvy

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Dior Fails to Report Customer Data Breach to South Korean Cybersecurity Authority

Dior Fails to Report Customer Data Breach to South Korean Cybersecurity Authority

SEOUL, May 14 (Korea Bizwire) —  French luxury brand Dior has come under scrutiny in South Korea for failing to report a recent data breach involving Korean customers to the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), as required under domestic law, a lawmaker’s office said Wednesday. According to Rep. Choi Soo-jin of the ruling People Power [...]

Retailers Struggle Amid Sluggish Domestic Demand; Lotte Gains on Overseas Growth, E-Mart Surges

Retailers Struggle Amid Sluggish Domestic Demand; Lotte Gains on Overseas Growth, E-Mart Surges

SEOUL, May 13 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s department store sector suffered a difficult first quarter as sluggish domestic consumption weighed heavily on sales and profits, with only Lotte Department Store managing to post a notable profit boost, thanks to strong performance in overseas operations and internal restructuring efforts. According to industry data released Tuesday, Lotte [...]

IKEA Courts Korean Suppliers for Eco-Friendly, Recycled Materials

IKEA Courts Korean Suppliers for Eco-Friendly, Recycled Materials

SEOUL, May 12 (Korea Bizwire) — Swedish furniture giant IKEA held a briefing session in Seoul on Monday to expand its network of eco-friendly and recycled product suppliers from South Korea, according to the country’s state-run trade promotion agency. IKEA’s Northeast Asia purchasing office hosted the 2025 IKEA Day event at the headquarters of the [...]

Online Processed Food Shopping Surges Among Korean Households

Online Processed Food Shopping Surges Among Korean Households

SEOUL, May 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Seven in 10 households made online purchases of processed foods in 2024, a survey showed Tuesday, marking a sharp increase from a year earlier and a significant change in where and how people shop. According to the survey conducted by the Korea Rural Economic Institute, 72.3 percent of households [...]

Hotels and Department Stores Embrace ‘Art Marketing’ to Enrich Customer Experience

Hotels and Department Stores Embrace ‘Art Marketing’ to Enrich Customer Experience

SEOUL, May 5 (Korea Bizwire) —  South Korea’s leading hotels and department stores are turning to art-driven strategies to attract affluent, experience-seeking customers, elevating their venues from commercial spaces to immersive cultural destinations. With the rise of “art marketing,” retailers are integrating curated exhibitions, docent-led tours, and gallery partnerships into their business models. This trend is [...]

Chanel Tops List of Most Counterfeited Brands Online in South Korea Over Five-Year Period

Chanel Tops List of Most Counterfeited Brands Online in South Korea Over Five-Year Period

SEOUL, May 3 (Korea Bizwire) —  Chanel has emerged as the most frequently counterfeited brand online in South Korea over the past five years, according to new government data that highlights the growing challenge of policing illicit e-commerce activity involving luxury goods. A report submitted by Rep. Oh Se-hee of the Democratic Party, a member of [...]

Fresh Food Becomes Battleground in Retail War as E-commerce and Offline Giants Escalate Competition

Fresh Food Becomes Battleground in Retail War as E-commerce and Offline Giants Escalate Competition

SEOUL, April 24, (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s retail sector is undergoing a seismic shift as e-commerce giants and traditional retailers alike double down on fresh food—a category once dominated by brick-and-mortar stores—as a key to future growth and survival. Coupang, the country’s leading e-commerce platform, is aggressively expanding its fresh food business in 2025, [...]

U.S.-China Tariff War Sparks Fears of Dumping Surge in South Korea

U.S.-China Tariff War Sparks Fears of Dumping Surge in South Korea

SEOUL, April 21 (Korea Bizwire) —  As the U.S.-China trade war escalates in 2025, South Korea’s retail and small manufacturing sectors are bracing for a potential flood of low-cost Chinese goods that could destabilize domestic markets. Industry concerns have mounted following a series of aggressive tariff measures by former U.S. President Donald Trump. On April 9, [...]

GS25 Leverages “Search Failures” to Discover Hidden Demand for Alcohol Products

GS25 Leverages “Search Failures” to Discover Hidden Demand for Alcohol Products

SEOUL, April 21 (Korea Bizwire) —   South Korean convenience store chain GS25 is turning missed search results into a powerful tool for product innovation, using customer data from its mobile app to identify and launch new alcoholic beverages. GS25 announced Sunday that it has been analyzing “search failure” data from its app Our Neighborhood GS, particularly [...]

Climate Change Reshapes Retail Calendar, Boosting Summer Appliances While Crimping Spring Fashion

Climate Change Reshapes Retail Calendar, Boosting Summer Appliances While Crimping Spring Fashion

SEOUL, April 17, (Korea Bizwire) — As climate change shortens South Korea’s transitional seasons and extends the summer, retail sectors are seeing shifting consumer behaviors and divergent business fortunes. While spring fashion sales slump amid erratic weather and weak consumer sentiment, electronics retailers are benefiting from an early surge in demand for summer appliances. According [...]