Korea’s Hotping fashion mall goes global
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Korean women’s clothing mall Hotping entered the global market just six months ago – and already cross-border sales account for 10 per cent of its turnover.
Monthly sales to customers outside Korea have now surpassed the 100 million won (US$84,000) mark.
“We believed that winning new markets quickly would secure future competitiveness after we started up in 2014 and we launched the English, Chinese, and Japanese versions of our online mall through the global eCommerce platform of cafe24,” explained CEO Kim Yeo-jin.
“We received orders from international customers even when we had the Korean site only, which also quickened our entry into the global market.”
Established in 2014, Hotping is a Korean women’s clothing specialty mall that carries trendy products popular in the world of fashion. Like its name suggests, Hotping is a ‘portmanteau’ word mixing hot trend and lovely pink. Another notable characteristic is that Hotping satisfies customers of various body types since it carries sizes from 44 (equivalent to XS in the US) to 105 (equivalent to XXL) for most of its products.
As a result of the company’s continued sponsorship of the wardrobes used by Korean costume dramas, Hotping has been enjoying great brand awareness, particularly in countries swept by the Hallyu, or ‘Korean Wave’, notably the US, China, and Japan. In addition, as it carries a number of elegant and exclusive clothing lines, news anchors have also been inquiring about sponsorship.
Hotping is also winning immense popularity with its line of highly elastic Magic Pants, whcih are proving popular globally thanks to a fun marketing campaign that sees dancers posing in a number of positions that highlight their extreme elasticity.
Kim adds: “We will continue to make efforts to win new markets and will also continue offering beautiful clothes to our customers at reasonable prices like we do now.”
Questions & Answers
Q.Which specific markets are driving Hotping's international sales growth?
Which specific markets are driving Hotping's international sales growth?
Hotping is experiencing significant brand awareness and orders from international customers, particularly in countries swept by the Hallyu, or 'Korean Wave'. The US, China, and Japan are notably strong markets for the brand.
Q.What is the primary factor that allowed Hotping to expand its product offerings to a wide range of sizes?
What is the primary factor that allowed Hotping to expand its product offerings to a wide range of sizes?
Hotping offers sizes from 44 (XS) to 105 (XXL) for most products, catering to various body types. This inclusive sizing is a notable characteristic that helps satisfy a broader customer base.
Q.What contributed to Hotping's existing brand recognition before its formal global launch?
What contributed to Hotping's existing brand recognition before its formal global launch?
Hotping's continued sponsorship of wardrobes for Korean costume dramas has generated significant brand awareness, especially in countries affected by the Hallyu. This led to international orders even before global expansion.
Q.How did the company manage to achieve 10% cross-border sales within just six months of entering the global market?
How did the company manage to achieve 10% cross-border sales within just six months of entering the global market?
Hotping launched English, Chinese, and Japanese versions of its online mall through the global eCommerce platform of cafe24. They also had received international orders on their Korean site prior to the official global entry.
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