Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Korea, updated continuously by our newsroom.
We’re slowly moving toward the size limitations of our Universe but before we reach that Planck volume, there’s still some wiggle room. This means smaller, faster, and more efficient chips in our smartphones of tomorrow. Let’s leave quantum physics behind,…
McDonald’s Korea, the local unit wholly owned by the US fast-food giant, is seeking a new owner — joining the latest burger chain sales rush here. The company confirmed Friday that its US headquarters is selling its entire stake in the Korean unit as well as…
South Korean chicken chain, Mom’s Touch, is seeking a new owner after voluntarily delisting from the Kosdaq stock market, according to The Korea Herald. KL & Partners’ investment arm, Korea F&B Holdings, which is the chain’s largest shareholder, proposed to…
Sales at South Korea’s top department stores rebounded sharply in February from the previous month, government estimates showed on Tuesday, reflecting this year’s change of timing for the Lunar New Year holiday. Combined sales last month at department stores…
Diptyque’s new flagship store in Seoul is its largest yet, anywhere in the world, reflecting its confidence in the South Korean perfume market which is showing rapid growth. Located in the upscale shopping street Garorugil, the Diptyque flagship’s design was…
South Korea’s antitrust regulator said Tuesday it has decided to approve a deal by Korea Seven Co., the operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores, to buy its smaller rival Ministop Korea Co. In January, the country’s retail giant Lotte inked a deal to acquire a…
South Korea’s Lotte Group has agreed to acquire a 100% stake in Ministop Korea for 313.4 billion won ($263 million), the country’s fifth-largest convenience store chain, from Japan’s Aeon Co., Lotte said on Jan. 21. With the purchase in cash, Lotte’s…
The first of its kind, a law preventing app market operators—the likes of Apple and Google—from necessitating app developers to use specific payment systems were imposed by Korea’s National Assembly in September 2021. Today, on January 11, 2022, Apple has…
Starbucks Korea has added a new location to its chain of Community Stores in the country, reaffirming its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The store is Starbucks Korea’s first to focus on a design that creates an inclusive space and what the…
Flash Coffee has launched its first two South Korea stores in Seoul’s Gangnam district as part of its expansion in Asia, with two more stores scheduled to open before the year ends. The launch marks the brand’s sixth market in the region, after Singapore,…
Korea Seven, which operates 7-Eleven stores in South Korea, has partnered with Neubility, a South Korean autonomous robot startup, to commercialize autonomous robots for short-range delivery. Most large convenience store chains in South Korea offer delivery…
South Korean health and beauty chain CJ Olive Young is looking to raise around US$1 billion in an initial public offering, as the company seeks to tap a booming market for new listings. The listing, which two sources aware of the matter say is set to take…
Apple and Google are both failing to fully comply with South Korean legislation that prevents app store operators from forcing developers to use their own payment platforms. As you already know, Apple and Google, with the App Store and Play Store…
Double-digit sales growth in China, South Korea, and the Americas underpinned a 37-per-cent lift in first-half sales for luxury fashion group Burberry to US$1.63 billion. The lift reflected a recovery in-store sales as Covid-related lockdowns and trading…
Vietnamese companies are racing to develop blockchain games and mobilize millions of dollars from foreign investors as they seek to make their place in the new industry. After the monster-combat game Axie Infinity became the most valuable non-fungible token…
Starbucks has been the subject of growing speculation as a number of Korean banks express their concerns over the US coffeehouse chain’s potential move into the competitive financial services industry. The global chain itself has not announced its plans to…
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