SEOUL, Nov. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — A new joint venture between South Korea’s Shinsegae Group and China’s Alibaba International has begun operations with major year-end promotions, signaling the start of what many in the retail sector expect will be a reshaping of the country’s e-commerce landscape. Grand Opus Holdings, the JV formed by the two companies, [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s logistics and e-commerce industries are embroiled in a fierce debate over a proposed ban on deliveries between midnight and 5 a.m., a move labor groups say is needed to protect workers’ health but businesses warn would disrupt jobs and consumer convenience. The controversy began after the Korean Confederation [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — Coupang reported record-high sales for the third quarter of 2025, buoyed by increased customer spending on its Rocket Delivery service and rapid growth in new ventures such as its Taiwan operations and Coupang Eats. Yet analysts warn that the company’s profitability remains stagnant, with operating margins stuck in the [...]
SEJONG, Nov. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – Online shopping sales in South Korea increased 13.3 percent from a year earlier to a record high for any September, driven by strong sales of Tesla vehicles and rising demand for food services, data showed Monday. The value of online shopping transactions stood at 23.79 trillion won (US$16.61 billion) [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean retailers are gearing up for a surge in global shopping demand next month, timing major overseas promotions with U.S. Black Friday and China’s Singles’ Day as they seek to capture more spending from international consumers. W Concept, operated by Shinsegae, will run a two-week “W Week” promotion on [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang has found itself at the center of a political and legal storm after a prosecutor alleged that senior officials pressured investigators to clear the company of wrongdoing in a wage-related case — a revelation that has reignited debate over prosecutorial reform and cast new scrutiny [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Once the exclusive domain of department stores, the competition to court South Korea’s most coveted “VVIP” customers — very, very important patrons with deep pockets and high loyalty — is heating up in the online retail world. E-commerce companies, traditionally focused on price-sensitive shoppers, are now introducing tiered membership [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — Online shopping in South Korea surged to its highest level for any August on record, fueled by booming Tesla sales and growing appetite for food services, government data showed Wednesday. Total online transactions reached 22.48 trillion won (US$15.56 billion) in August, up 6.6 percent, or 1.39 trillion won, from [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s e-commerce sector is undergoing a sharp consolidation, with a winner-takes-all structure emerging as Coupang and Naver entrench their dominance. Smaller players are collapsing or being forced into alliances, while global challengers from China accelerate their advance. The collapse of mid-tier platforms Tmon and Wemakeprice last year, which [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s antitrust regulator on Thursday conditionally approved a joint venture between Shinsegae Group’s Gmarket and Alibaba’s AliExpress Korea, clearing the way for a new challenger to disrupt a market long dominated by Coupang and Naver. The tie-up, structured as a 50:50 joint company under Grand Opus Holding, will [...]