Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Korea, updated continuously by our newsroom.
Convenience store Emart24 is hoping to entice visitors to stay awhile at its two new shops overlooking the Han River that open this Friday. The multi-level stores will each host a bookstore and cafe that will offer beer on tap. Emart24 is taking over the…
An investigation by the Korea Consumer Association (KCA) concluded that the spate of BMW fires that left Korea in a state of panic over the summer was the fault of the engine control unit (ECU) software, not the hardware issue that the German carmaker has…
Online fashion retailer Musinsa held a presentation to introduce its newly opened Musinsa Studio and announce its goal of reaching a total sales volume of 1 trillion won (US$902 million) by 2020 in Dongdaemun, central Seoul. Musinsa, Korea’s largest online…
Uber’s chief operating officer, Barney Harford, vowed to take Korean regulations more seriously during his visit to Seoul on Wednesday. The ride-hailing company is working to revitalize its local business and focus on its taxi and food delivery services, he…
7-Eleven is launching first fully-automated stores 7-Eleven Express in South Korea. Currently under trial, four vending machine-style convenience stores are being operated: two at the headquarters of 7-Eleven in downtown Seoul, one at Lotte E&M in Incheon,…
Chanel Korea has come under fire for allegedly selling a used handbag to a customer. South Korean media outlet News One has reported a customer paid 7 million won (US$6280) for a Chanel 2.55 flap bag at a department store in April. She claims she later found…
Samsung Electronics’ new smart watches will go on sale today. Out of two new Galaxy Watch models, one works through a connection to a smartphone via Bluetooth. Its sales start today. The second, which operates totally independently via phone networks, will be…
Lotte Duty Free has bought a change of outlets in Australia and New Zealand from local operator JR Duty Free. The four Australian stories are in airports in Brisbane, Darwin and Canberra and in downtown Melbourne, while the New Zealand store is at Wellington…
An upgraded version of Emart’s humanoid Pepper robot will start roaming the aisles of the retailer’s Seongsu branch in eastern Seoul starting tomorrow. Pepper is a humanoid robot developed by Japan’s SoftBank Robotics. Its main function is emotional…
Naver, Korea’s dominant internet portal and search engine, said Thursday it will invest 258.9 billion won ($230.8 million) in its wholly-owned affiliate in France to strengthen its presence in Europe. Naver will acquire 2 million new shares issued by Naver…
South Korea’s direct purchases from foreign countries continued to increase at a sharp pace in the first half of this year on rising consumer demand for cheaper and quality products, customs data showed. A total of US$1.32 billion worth of foreign goods was…
LG Electronics said Thursday it will showcase a wearable robot that can help workers lift and move heavy objects easier at an upcoming tech exhibition in Germany. The electronics company said the CLOi SuitBot will be unveiled to the public at the…
South Korean internet service company Naver has invested in Malaysian retail aggregator iPrice. The firm intends to invest an undisclosed amount to fund iPrice’s expansion into the Indonesian market and to improve its platform towards a better user…
Samsung Electronics ranked third globally in terms of research and development (R&D) expenditures last year, data showed Thursday. According to the report compiled by Ernst & Young, a global accounting firm, Samsung Electronics spent 13.1 billion euros ($15…
Kia Motors, Korea’s second-largest automaker, said Thursday that it has unveiled its KX1 entry-level SUV in China in its latest move to meet the demands of young customers. The KX1 SUV comes with a 1.4-liter MPI gasoline engine mated to a five-speed manual…
The income gap in Korea widened again in the second quarter, a serious blow to the so-called income-led growth policy of the Moon Jae-in government, which vowed to narrow the inequality in earnings between the rich and poor. According to data released by…
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