Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Korea, updated continuously by our newsroom.
South Korean companies are pumping up their efforts to diversify export items to India as they seek to tap deeper into Asia’s third-largest economy, industry sources said Friday. So far, South Korean companies have focused on such manufacturing sectors as…
Korean hypermarket giant E-Mart plans to install electric car charging stations at all of its outlets nationwide by 2021. The company initiated formal service of nine electric car charging stations in four regions (Sokcho, Gangneung, Geomdan, and Gumi) this…
South Korea has maintained a dominant share of the global duty-free market, despite its recent political turmoil. According to a GlobalData report, with a 22 per cent share of sales, South Korea is the world’s largest duty-free market, which reached a sales…
Surging Chinese and Russian visitor numbers suggest a strong future for Korean travel retail giant Lotte Duty Free’s new store at Cam Ranh International Airport in Nha Trang, opened on 30 June. As reported, Lotte Duty Free has been awarded an exclusive…
South Korea’s beauty exports remain unfazed, gaining nearly 40 percent in the first five months of the year against a year-ago period. According to data released by the Korea Customs Service on 28 June, K-beauty exports between January and May this year…
Better Way Thailand, trading as cosmetics brand Mistine, is aiming to establish itself as an Asian brand by 2020. From this coming August, Mistine products will be exported for retail in Korea’s Incheon airport and in downtown Seoul, in the hope of attracting…
Starbucks Coffee Korea Co. said Monday it will increase the number of cashless stores to over 100 across South Korea this month amid rising use of credit cards and mobile payment systems in the tech-savvy country. Earlier in April, the coffee giant began a…
The weakening of the won in recent weeks carries both benefits and risks for the Korean economy that is being held back by a simultaneous downturn in investment, consumption and exports. Policymakers therefore face a thorny task to take proper steps in…
As virtual reality becomes recognized as a viable film technology internationally, the Korean film industry is not hesitating to join the trend: film tech labs and visual effects houses are producing VR content more aggressively than ever, while major…
Emart’s Pierrot Shopping store has opened inside Coex mall, in southern Seoul. Aiming to be a “Fun and Crazy” destination, the 2513sqm two-storey store targets consumers in their 20s and 30s with a diverse range of 40,000 products. On basement floor, there is…
Korean-headquartered travel retailer The Shilla has officially launched its Beauty&You concept stores in Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) after a six-month soft launch. At the launch, Shilla Travel Retail Hong Kong MD Alice Woo said: “We hope to…
LG Electronics on Thursday unveiled its budget LG X2 smartphone, which comes with a 5-inch HD screen and will be distributed through local mobile carriers. The company said the LG X2 will come with a price tag of 198,000 won ($176) and have an Auto Shot…
Shareholders of Lotte’s Japanese holding company voted to retain imprisoned Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin as director, dashing his estranged older brother Shin Dong-joo’s hopes to take over the position. At the meeting held at Lotte Holdings’…
A Nielsen report shows Korean products have usurped the popularity of Japanese products among young Hong Kong consumers. The report traces the local market’s perception of Japanese and Korean trends to assess which is perceived as being more popular. It shows…
Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world’s largest shipbuilder by sales, said Sunday it has cut a third of its executives in its offshore and engineering division as new orders have dried up. The move came a month before the shipbuilder is due to suspend work at…
Samsung Electronics is scheduled to unveil its Galaxy Note9 phablet on Aug. 9 in New York, according to an invitation the company sent to media on Thursday. The unpacking event for the next flagship smartphone will take place at 11 a.m. local time on Aug. 9,…
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.