SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s luxury department stores are increasingly reliant on high-spending VIP customers, with their contribution to total sales surpassing 50% at some retailers in 2024, reflecting a growing polarization in consumer behavior amid economic challenges. According to industry data released on January 26, VIP customers accounted for 51% of sales [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s e-commerce sector saw a challenging 2024, with economic pressures leading to reduced consumer spending across platforms. Despite these headwinds and competition from Chinese e-commerce players like AliExpress and Temu, Coupang and SSG.com maintained strong customer loyalty, according to data released on January 26 by analytics firm IGAWorks. SSG.com [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — A delayed onset of winter in South Korea has driven a surge in demand for premium bedding, with sales of goose-down and wool comforters soaring as temperatures plummeted in recent weeks. Major department stores, including Lotte, Shinsegae, and Hyundai, reported a 10% year-over-year increase in overall bedding sales from [...]
SEJONG, Jan. 22 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s standards agency unveiled a blueprint Wednesday for enhancing its monitoring of children’s products sold on overseas shopping platforms amid growing concerns over the influx of goods that fail to meet local safety standards. The plan, which will run through 2027, comes amid growing demand for children’s products [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — Members of South Korea’s National Assembly sharply criticized Coupang Inc.’s founder Kim Bom-suk for his absence from a parliamentary hearing on January 21 focused on improving working conditions for the e-commerce giant’s delivery workers, particularly regarding late-night labor practices. The hearing, held by the Environment and Labor Committee, was attended [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — Coupang, one of South Korea’s largest e-commerce companies, has admitted to maintaining an employment blacklist affecting over 16,000 individuals, following revelations by MBC in February 2024. This marks the first time the company has publicly acknowledged the controversial list, which allegedly barred reemployment of workers and even included journalists critical [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s home shopping industry is rapidly evolving its delivery services and diversifying business models to align with changing consumer trends, aiming to boost competitiveness and profitability through personalized services. Expanded Delivery Services Leading home shopping companies are enhancing their delivery systems through strategic partnerships with logistics firms. On January [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Lotte Home Shopping has officially launched its mobile game “Bellygom Matchland” in South Korea, accelerating its efforts to diversify its character intellectual property (IP) business. Announced on January 16, 2025, this move marks the company’s expansion into the gaming sector, becoming the first retailer in the industry to release a [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s standard agency said Wednesday it plans to enhance safety surveillance of products sold on overseas shopping platforms amid soaring direct purchases made by local consumers. Under the plan, the country will monitor the safety of 1,000 products sold on major overseas platforms this year, sharply up from [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea kicked off its annual winter shopping festival Wednesday, a 45-day nationwide event aimed at drawing foreign tourists and boosting spending during the tourism off-season. The Korea Grand Sale, running through Feb. 28, features discounts across flights, accommodations, and retail sectors, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports [...]