Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Korea, updated continuously by our newsroom.
After color forecaster Pantone announced its annual Color of the Year in December, Korean companies, spanning cosmetics brands to hiking-gear makers, have rushed into releasing products in the vibrant hue. According to Pantone, the color was chosen for being…
Sensors on roads will be able to alert cars when people are jaywalking and bus stops will tell buses to slow down in crowded areas when Seoul’s 5G infrastructure is ready, the city’s government and SK Telecom said in a joint statement Thursday. The Seoul…
Namyang Dairy Products said Friday its coffee exports jumped more than 20 percent in 2018 on market diversification and the rising popularity of Korean pop culture abroad. Overseas shipments of its freeze-dried coffee and instant coffee products totaled 36…
Hyundai Motor Group took home the top prizes in two of three categories at the 2019 North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year Awards (Nactoy), the company said last Tuesday. It is the first time a Korean carmaker has won in two categories at the…
Korea’s antitrust watchdog said Wednesday that it has fined Nissan Korea 900 million won ($802,100) for inflating gas mileage figures for its Infiniti Q50 2.2d sedans. The Japanese car’s fuel efficiency reaches 14.6 kilometers per liter (34.3 miles per…
SK Telecom introduced a new messaging service on Tuesday in an attempt to compete with Korea’s dominant chat app, KakaoTalk. The new service will look a lot like Apple’s iMessage. Users won’t have to download a separate app. It is offered to SK Telecom…
Sales of imported commercial vehicles plunged 38 percent last month from a year earlier amid slower economic growth, a local automobile association said Tuesday. The number of newly-registered imported commercial vehicles fell to 283 units in December from…
Hotel Shilla announced Tuesday that it will actively begin expanding its brand abroad this year, the first new location being a resort in Da Nang, Vietnam. “Starting with Da Nang, we hope to expand our brand to more than 10 overseas locations in Southeast…
Korea’s antitrust watchdog said Tuesday that it has fined Toyota Motor Korea 817 million won ($729,000) for deceptive advertising of its RAV4 sport utility vehicle (SUV). Toyota Motor Korea advertised that its RAV4 obtained a top safety pick in five test…
South Korean Hotel Shilla has recruited five social media influencers across Asian countries to hype K-beauty products through Shilla Duty Free stores. The company said that it will work with top influencers from China, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand…
The National Gallery Company has launched its first overseas cafe in Seoul. The cafe, “Delicious Art”, has opened at Lotte World Mall, designed with features to reflect London’s National Gallery building, along with replicas of famous artworks. “This is a…
Incheon International Airport announced record annual sales of US$2.4 billion for 2018, beating the previous record set in 2017. The performance ranks Incheon as the world’s number one airport for duty free sales in 2018, ahead of Dubai International. The…
South Korean retail giant Shinsegae is launching an independent Yunjac cosmetics store at its Myeongdong duty free outlet. The cosmetics shop, which will open on February 2, retails Asian herb-based skincare products. Launched in October last year, it is…
Luxury carmaker Jaguar introduced the I-Pace, its first electric vehicle (EV), to the Korean market Monday at the Paradise City hotel in Incheon, joining a growing number of EV automakers in the country. The luxury brand’s all-electric sport-utility vehicle…
Hyundai Motor finalized its driver lineup for this year’s major motorsport competitions, the company said Monday. The automaker said its target this year is to win championship titles at the World Rally Championship (WRC) and the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR).…
Samsung Electronics on Friday sent out invitations to its next unpacking event, where it is widely expected to unveil the next model in its Galaxy S smartphone series, the S10. The event is taking place on Feb. 20 at 11 a.m. at the Bill Graham Civic…
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