specialty stores

Retail When in S. Korea, it’s a ritual: Foreigners make stops at CU, GS25, 7-Eleven

“If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair,” as Scott McKenzie sang in the late 1960s and 70s.If...

Mergers & Acquisitions Hahn & Co. acquires SK Specialty for $1.8 billion

Hahn & Co., South Korea’s largest private equity firm, has finalized the acquisition of SK Specialty Co., the world’s leading produc...

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...

Beauty & Cosmetics Amorepacific's Aestura to enter US market with Sephora

South Korean beauty and cosmetics giant Amorepacific Corp. said on Wednesday that its derma cosmetic brand Aestura will enter the American market wi...

Retail China's Miniso re-enters S.Korea

Miniso, a household goods store known as "the Chinese version of Daiso", has re-entered South Korea after three years.According to the retail indust...

Petrochemicals Lotte Chemical’s JV to boost specialty chemicals output

Lotte Chemical Corp.'s joint venture with Japan’s Tokuyama Corp. will ramp up specialty chemicals production to accelerate its shift from...

Mergers & Acquisitions Hahn & Co. to buy controlling stake in SK’s specialty gas unit for $1.9 bn

South Korea’s private equity firm Hahn & Co. is set to acquire a controlling stake in the world’s top specialty gas producer SK Spec...

Mergers & Acquisitions Hyosung TNC acquires Hyosung Chemical’s specialty gas unit for $642 mn

Hyosung TNC Corp., a South Korean textile and yarn maker, said on Thursday it will acquire the specialty gas division of Hyosung Chemical Corp. for ...

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...

Food & Beverage CJ CheilJedang sells ambient fried rice in N.America

South Korea's CJ CheilJedang Corp. said on Thursday it will export and sell its ambient rice product, Bibigo Korean BBQ Fried Rice, to the North Ame...

Food & Beverage CJ CheilJedang's Sobaba Chicken enters US, Japan

South Korea's CJ CheilJedang Corp. said on Wednesday its frozen fried chicken Sobaba Chicken entered Costco stores in the US and Japan.Sobaba Chicke...

Corporate restructuring Lotte puts department store in Centum City, Busan on market

Lotte Shopping Co. has put one of its core department stores, Lotte Department Store Centum City in Busan, on the market in line with its parent gro...

Chemical Industry Hyosung TNC mulls takeover of chemical affiliate’s specialty gas unit

Hyosung TNC Corp., the world’s top spandex maker, is considering taking over the specialty gas business of its chemical affiliate, news of whi...

Mergers & Acquisitions Hyosung Chemical scraps specialty gas unit sale to IMM, STIC

Hyosung Chemical Corp. has failed to reach an agreement with a consortium of IMM Private Equity and STIC Investments Inc. to sell its specialty gas ...

Beauty & Cosmetics Shilla Duty Free opens Guerlain Ultimate Boutique at Incheon Airport

South Korea's Shilla Duty Free Shop announced on Tuesday it opened the Guerlain Ultimate Boutique, the first flagship store in a global airport, at ...

Beauty & Cosmetics L’Oréal opens SkinCeuticals second global store in S.Korea

L’Oréal Group, the world’s largest beauty company, said on Monday it opened its second global SkinCeuticals store at Lotte Depart...

Executive reshuffles Shinsegae Group splits E-Mart, department store with executive reshuffles

South Korea’s retail giant Shinsegae Group on Wednesday carried out one of its most drastic executive reshuffles, officially splitting the gro...

Culture & Trends Seoul to light up Myeong-dong with LEDs like Times Square

Seoul will light up Myeong-dong, a bustling area with office workers and shoppers in the heart of the city, with 16 large outdoor digital billboards...

Food & Beverage Jimmy John’s to open its first store in Seoul in October

U.S. sandwich franchise Jimmy John's will open a store in Gangnam, Seoul, in October, the company announced on Thursday.This will be Jimmy John's fi...

Retail Lotte Duty Free renews Tokyo Ginza Store

South Korea's Lotte Duty Free reopened its Tokyo Ginza Store in Tokyu Plaza Ginza on Wednesday after a complete renovation. This is the company's ...

Korean food Mom's Touch to enter Laos in 2025

South Korean homegrown burger and chicken brand Mom's Touch & Co. said on Wednesday that it signed a master franchise agreement with Laos-based ...

Food & Beverage Paris Baguette opens 600th overseas store in Canada for global expansion

Paris Baguette opened its 600th overseas store in Toronto, Ontario, as the leading South Korean bakery brand is rapidly expanding its global busines...

Food & Beverage Paris Baguette to enter Thailand, Brunei, Laos

South Korean bakery brand Paris Baguette, operated by SPC Group, said on Wednesday it will enter Thailand, Brunei, and Laos.SPC signed a master fran...

Food & Beverage Nongshim opens K-Ramyun supermarket in Myeongdong

South Korean food and beverage giant Nongshim Co. said on Monday that it opened a Korean-style ramyun experience store K-Ramen Supermarket with the ...

Retail CU, GS25 in fierce race for top spot in Korea’s convenience store market

Using multiple measures, CU and GS25 both claim they are the No. 1 player in South Korea’s convenience store (CV) market.CU, operated by BGF R...

Food & Beverage South Korea's hy to export Helicobacter Project Will to China

South Korea's hy, formerly known as Korea Yakult and a leader in dairy products, said on Monday that it started exporting its fermented milk product...

Retail Duty-free underdog Kyung Bok Kung outshines Lotte, Shilla

Kyung Bok Kung Duty-Free Co., a lesser-known travel retailer, has bucked the trend of South Korea's sluggish duty-free retail industry on a downward...

Retail Shinsegae Department Store expands its diamond business

South Korea's Shinsegae Department Store is expanding its diamond business.Shinsegae announced on Thursday that it has entered into a strategic part...

Retail Shinsegae Duty Free opens premium store at Incheon Airport

South Korea's Shinsegae Duty Free launched a premium store at Incheon International Airport, aiming to counter the decline in downtown duty-free sal...

Beauty & Cosmetics APR enters UK cosmetics market

South Korea's cosmetic and clothing company APR said on Monday that it entered PureSeoul, a UK-based distributor specializing in K-beauty.PureSeoul ...