SEOUL, Jan. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – In a major boost for South Korea’s small businesses, Coupang, one of the country’s largest online retailers, has announced a significant milestone: the number of small business owners on its platform has surpassed 210,000, with their annual transaction volume exceeding 9 trillion won. This news was highlighted in Coupang’s recently [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 28 (Korea Bizwire) – In the face of persistent high inflation and interest rates, South Korean consumers have been navigating the economic landscape with markedly polarized spending habits. This trend, underscored by recent studies from Lotte Home Shopping and WiseApp, reveals a complex interplay of ‘value-seeking consumption’ and ‘revenge spending’, shaping the country’s retail [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 27 (Korea Bizwire) – GS Shop announced on December 25 its new ‘Short Picks’ service, offering condensed versions of TV home shopping broadcasts and live commerce videos, each reduced to about a minute. Short Picks is a short-form content initiative by GS Shop that edits down product sales videos, previously aired on various channels, [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 25 (Korea Bizwire) –After a temporary setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea’s department store culture centers, which have flourished for 40 years since the mid-1980s, are witnessing a resurgence in popularity. The three major department store chains in South Korea – Lotte, Shinsegae, and Hyundai – are not only expanding their [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — E-Mart24 Inc., one of South Korea’s major convenience store chains, said Friday it aims to open 100 stores in Cambodia by 2028, as it signed a deal with a local partner to make inroads into the Southeast Asian country. E-Mart24 signed the deal with Saihan Partners, a joint venture [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — New York-listed e-commerce company Coupang, Inc. said Tuesday it will acquire British online luxury fashion retailer Farfetch Holdings in a deal that brings Coupang the leading position in the $400 billion global personal luxury goods market. The deal will provide Farfetch with $500 million in capital to continue its [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – IKEA Korea, the South Korean branch of the world’s largest furniture brand, has faced a continued downturn in its performance, reversing the growth observed last year. After experiencing a sales decline for the first time since entering the Korean market, IKEA Korea also posted its first fiscal-year loss this year. [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Korea Bizwire) – The retail industry, traditionally centered on price and product competition, is now grappling with intense rivalry by adopting innovative approaches to store differentiation. In particular, there is a rising trend among consumers towards specialized stores that concentrate on a specific product category, acting as a catalyst for increased sales. A [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Korea Bizwire) – Commemorative tumblers featuring Apple’s iconic logo sporting a blue wave motif have taken South Korea by storm. These limited-edition tumblers were distributed on a first-come, first-served basis during the grand opening of the Apple Hanam store in Gyeonggi Province, the company’s sixth store in the country, on December 9. A [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – In a trend reflective of the times, e-commerce platforms in South Korea are increasingly becoming the main stage for cost-effective consumption, witnessing a rise in so-called ‘frugal spending.’ With soaring prices increasing consumer sensitivity to costs, there’s a notable surge in demand for products priced below 10,000 won. One example [...]