online retail

E-commerce Coupang’s Q1 revenue up; quarterly dip signals rising competition

Coupang Inc., South Korea’s largest e-commerce platform, extended its year-on-year sales growth with an 11.1% increase to post $7.9 billion in...

E-commerce StockX in merger talks with Naver’s online reseller Kream

StockX, the world’s most popular online resale marketplace, is in talks to merge with Kream, a resale unicorn under South Korea’s tech g...

Private equity Red flags raised even before Homeplus crisis: Sales fall, credit ratings cut

Even before South Korea’s second-largest hypermarket chain Homeplus Co. was put under court receivership due to its worsening financial woes, ...

Debt financing MBK chairman to leverage own funds to pay Homeplus suppliers

Michael ByungJu Kim, the co-founder, partner and chairman of Northeast Asia-focused private equity firm (PEF) MBK Partners Ltd., is expected to leve...

Beauty & Cosmetics K-beauty shake-up: APR, Shinsegae rise as Aekyung declines

South Korea’s beauty industry is undergoing a major reshuffle, with new players rising to prominence while established giants face growing com...

Korean games Netmarble to launch new game 'RF Online Next'

Netmarble Corp., South Korea’s leading game developer, is slated to roll out “RF Online Next” on March 20, a revamp of the old tit...

Alternative investments Korea Investment & Securities explores new products with global firms

Korea Investment & Securities Co. (KIS), a unit of Korea Investment Holdings Inc., is exploring new global investment products tailored for Sout...

Private equity MBK-owned Homeplus files for corporate revamp with Seoul court

South Korea’s leading hypermarket operator Homeplus Co., wholly owned by North Asia-focused private equity firm MBK Partners, on Tuesday filed...

Economy S.Korea’s factory output dips in January; Retail sales, investment slow

South Korea’s factory production decreased in the first month of this year due to a manufacturing slowdown, while private consumption and busi...

Corporate bonds S.Korea’s corporate bond market cools amid poor earnings

Investors’ appetite for corporate debts sold by South Korea’s petrochemical, retail and battery companies has waned this month amid grim...

Beauty & Cosmetics Korea’s beauty retailer CJ Olive Young to open first US offline outlet

CJ Olive Young Corp., South Korea’s top beauty store chain, said on Tuesday it has set up a US business entity in Los Angeles to enhance its p...

Korean startups AI agent Gentoo poised to revolutionize online shopping

South Korean artificial intelligence startup Waddle Corp. is gearing up to reshape the online retail industry with artificial intelligence-powered i...

Automobiles Hyundai Motor: First auto brand available for purchase on Amazon Autos

You can now buy a Hyundai on Amazon.You read that right. You can buy a vehicle on the same site where you purchase dinosaur balloons and roller skat...

IPOs K Bank drops 2025 IPO in 3rd Kospi listing cancellation

K Bank, a South Korean online lender, said on Wednesday it has again canceled its initial public offering plan amid the languid stock market an...

Tech, Media & Telecom China's Xiaomi establishes S.Korean branch

China's IT giant Xiaomi has entered the South Korean market. Xiaomi said on Monday it established its South Korean branch, Xiaomi Korea, and wi...

Mergers & Acquisitions KL & Partners buys cosmetics brand Manyo Factory for $130 mn

KL & Partners, a South Korean private equity firm, has agreed to buy Kosdaq-listed cosmetics company Manyo Factory Co., which has been building ...

Retail E-Land manages New Balance’s record $689 mn in Korean sales

South Korea’s retail giant E-Land Group has achieved 1 trillion won ($689 million) in Korean sales of the global sports footwear and apparel b...

Upcoming IPOs Online lender K Bank eyes Feb 2025 IPO at lower valuation

K Bank, a South Korean online lender, is making a fresh attempt to list on the Korean stock market in February 2025 as bitcoin’s record-breaki...

Social media Seoul probes fake online accounts of Hyundai Motor advisor Sung Kim

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has launched an investigation into social media accounts pretending to be Hyundai Motor Group advisor Sung Kim,...

Retail Quick delivery war deepens Korean big-box retailer-Baemin ties

As competition for same-day delivery heats up in South Korea, traditional big-box retailers are rushing to join hands with the country’s No. 1...

Retail E-Land sets sights on Vietnam as its next China, to open 10 outlets by 2025

South Korea’s retail giant E-Land Group has set its sights on Vietnam as its next target market after China, planning to open 10 outlets there...

Artificial intelligence Naver’s AI-powered search, online shopping services to go into full swing

South Korea’s Naver Corp. has been preparing for years to take its artificial intelligence-based services to the next level. The tech giant no...

Korean stock market S.Korean retail investors rush to buy Indian stocks on dips

South Korea's mom-and-pop investors have upped their stake in Indian stocks, hoping that Donald Trump's return to the White House will boost the Sou...

Retail GS Retail selects six startups to innovate retail biz

South Korea's GS Retail said on Friday it selected six startups—Studio Lab, Tilda, Oasis Business, YesPlzAI, Vessl AI, and Raondata—th...

Retail Lotte Mart to launch grocery shopping app

South Korea's Lotte Mart and Lotte Super will introduce a grocery-focused app, Lotte Mart Zeta, in the first half of next year to expand its digital...

Markets Indian stock market gears up for leap: NSE CEO  

India’s stock market is gearing up for a leap thanks to an influx of retail investors seeking better returns and the lower barriers for small ...

Automobiles Hyundai Motor aims high for online small EV sales in Japan

TOKYO – Hyundai Motor Co. will accelerate its penetration into Japan, a market it has been struggling to crack for decades, with small-size el...

IPOs Online lender K Bank withdraws plan for Kospi listing

K Bank, a South Korean online bank, has postponed its initial public offering (IPO) plan to list on the main bourse Kospi later this month.The digit...

Korean food S.Korea’s premium kimchi war escalated by luxury hotels

Kimchi, Koreans’ staple food throughout millennia, has become a new, lucrative revenue source for the country’s luxury hotel chain opera...

Corporate strategy Lotte Shopping to set up Singapore holding firm, eyes its IPO

Lotte Shopping Co., South Korea’s leading retail company, will transform its special purpose company (SPC) in Singapore into a holding firm to...