Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Korea, updated continuously by our newsroom.
Apple Inc. has made inquiries about opening its first retail store in South Korea, in a signal that the technology company might be looking to step up competition in the backyard of smartphone rival Samsung Group. Apple looked at sites across the street from…
Pei Wei Asian Diner, the fast casual pan-Asian US restaurant chain, has opened the first of 11 restaurants planned for South Korea. Known for bold flavors and an affordable Asian-inspired menu, the US company has partnered with ELX Food & Beverage, led by…
Seoul’s Incheon Airport not only tops the Asia-Pacific rankings for retail spending – it has the highest turnover of any airport in the world. Which is remarkable given it ranks 10th in the region by passenger numbers, according to Airports Council…
The South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, through the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation, will explore the possibility of entering the halal food market in Indonesia. Lee Kyu Baek from the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food…
Creditors of Kumho Tire gave formal notice this week that they will hold an open auction for their respective holdings in the South Korean tyre manufacturer with preliminary bidding scheduled to start in early November. The creditors involved are eight…
KB Kookmin Bank, Korea’s largest financial institution, is deploying Ciena’s encryption capabilities for secure, high-capacity data centre interconnect (DCI), in a bid to better protect customer data. The encryption solution protects KB Kookmin Bank’s data…
Going into last week’s Chuseok holidays, expectations were low in the retail sector due to a prolonged economic slowdown and a soon-to-be-implemented anti-graft law that will make expensive presents unlawful. Against all odds, however, four major department…
The average price of napa cabbages at local retail stores rose significantly last month compared to the previous month as the supply likely dropped due to the abnormally hot weather that hit the country this summer. Prices of napa cabbage, a Korean staple and…
GM Korea said on Sept. 19 it will sell 10 units of its new Chevrolet Aveo compacts via Auction, a local online shopping site affiliated with eBay Korea, on Sept. 26. This is the first time in Korea that a carmaker has decided to sell vehicles online. Even…
Luxury goods maker Richemont said on Wednesday that it expected operating profit in the six months to September to decline by 45% from a year ago. The Luxembourg-and JSE-listed group said in a statement that the decline reflected the effect of one-off…
French fashion jeweller Agatha Paris has opened its first stand-alone travel retail store, at Haikou Meilan International Airport on China’s Hainan Island. Opened in partnership with Hainan Duty Free, the 20 sqm store has a contract until September 2019.…
Taubman Centers, Inc. is making its impact felt around the world. Its wing in Asia – Taubman Asia – together with its partner Shinsegae Group, celebrated the opening of Starfield Hanam shopping center at Hanam, Gyeonggi Province in South Korea. This retail…
South Korea’s largest discount chain E-mart has committed to invest $200 million in Vietnam, continuing the trend of foreign investors entering the Southeast Asian nation’s rapidly growing consumer sector. A memorandum of understanding between E-mart and…
Coupang’s net sales more than doubled in the first half of the year, helping to validate SoftBank Group Corp.’s bet that the South Korean web retailer will carve out a piece of Asia’s booming e-commerce market. Net revenue rose to 868 billion won ($782…
Korean cosmetics brand Whoo is set to make its debut at TFWA Cannes as parent company LG Household & Health Care Co., Ltd. aims to introduce the Asian oriental medicinal cosmetic brand to the world and “take a leap to a global brand”. LG Household & Health…
Region’s property investors get a glimpse of Korea’s hottest properties being displayed at the Global Cityscape 2016, which will conclude today. “The two Korean free zones Incheon and Busan are participating in the three-day exhibition to showcase new…
Weekly Briefing
Tuesday, Thursday and a Saturday Weekly Wrap: the retail stories, numbers and moves that mattered across Asia. Nothing else, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
Read by retail operators, investors and brand teams across Asia.