PRK managing director on introducing canned espresso martini in Korea via coffeehouse chain

South Korean general foods company Daesang said Thursday that it is branching out into the Middle Eastern market, which serves a population of about 4 billion, with popular food products such as halal-certified kimchi and tofu. Daesang said it has teamed up with 21 stores in Qatar, including Carrefour, Lulu and Spar. In Iraq its products are being distributed through Carrefour and Majidi Mall, with plans underway to expand its presence in the region to countries including Saudi Arabia and Israe

South Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific published findings from a recent study on Wednesday showing that mask wearing can cause dry skin and redness. The researchers discovered that wearing a mask for between one and six hours can also bring significant change to skin temperature and sebum after conducting an experiment with 21 men and women. The perioral area – the area surrounding the mouth including both lips and the upper lip area under the nose – could be most affected afte

Home interior design platform Ohouse has raised 77 billion won ($70 million) in a new round of Series C funding from investors including technology investment firm Bond, the app’s operator, Bucketplace, said Monday. IMM Investment, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, Mirae Asset Capital and Naver Corporation were among the existing investors that participated in this round, the company added. This raises the company’s total funding to 88 billion won ($80 million). Launched in 2014, th

Retail sales in South Korea increased 8.4 percent in October from a year earlier on the back of the pandemic and consumption-boosting events, data showed Monday. The combined sales of 26 major offline and online retailers reached 12.01 trillion won ($10.7 billion) last month, up from 11.08 trillion won a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Online platforms led the overall growth, with their revenue advancing a whopping 17.2 percent over t

Card spending made during a massive nationwide annual shopping festival earlier this month rose 6.3 percent from a year earlier, the trade ministry said Friday, amid the new coronavirus outbreak. Card spending amounted to 37.4 trillion won ($33.5 billion) in the Nov. 1-15 period, when the country held the annual Korea Sale FESTA, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The shopping festival involving major retailers, manufacturers and traditional markets drew a total of 1,784

Starbucks Coffee Korea said Thursday it would start a test-run for coffee deliveries next week, and open a new delivery-only outlet. According to the coffee chain, it will open Yeoksam E-mart branch in Gangnam, Seoul on Nov. 27, where the coffeemaker will take only delivery orders made from the company’s mobile app. The 100-square-meter store will act as the space for employees to make drinks and prepare food, and for storing merchandize, Starbucks said. It will also have space for de

South Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific said Tuesday it would invest 3 billion won ($2.7 million) in Dmil, a multi-channel network company. According to Amorepacific, Dmil is a media contents firm, producing and selling cosmetics-related content and items, partnering with 250 content creators, including YouTubers Jella, Woorin and Chaeyoung. “From this investment, Amorepacific Group will establish a close partnership with beauty influencer-made contents and in commerce,” Lee Yo

E-commerce giant Coupang was the third-largest business in South Korea in terms of staff as of the third quarter of this year, following Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, a market research firm said Tuesday. The report released by CEOScore showed that Coupang hired a total of 43,171 employees as of late September, rising from the fourth-biggest employer position to the third. The report was based on data from the number of subscribers to the National Pension Service. Coupang’s ris

Amazon is partnering with Korean e-commerce platform 11st to avail purchase of its goods to Korean customers, 11st operator SK Telecom said Monday. According to SKT, which is SK Group’s mobile carrier that operates online shopping platform 11st, the two made an agreement for Amazon’s equity participation in 11st. Amazon is reportedly expected to purchase up to 30 percent of 11st’s company shares. Depending on 11st’s performance, which includes the company’s plan

Alibaba’s Singles Day sales over the past 12 years

South Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific announced the appointment of Kim Seung-Hwan as its new president on Thursday, in a major post-COVID-19 shakeup following lackluster sales this year. Kim, 51, previously served multiple roles including as head of the human resources unit. He will replace Bae Dong-hyun as the group’s president from next year. The age gap between Kim and Bae has been seen as a move to bring younger blood into power as the company struggles to fend off competition b

E-commerce platform Cafe24 will host a joint webinar with Japanese online fashion store Shoplist on how South Korean fashion businesses can branch out into Japan’s online fashion market. The event, scheduled for Nov. 18, will see Kazuya Santo, head of global business at Shoplist, touch on K-fashion trends and how businesses can strategize to succeed. Jaesuk Lee, CEO of Cafe24, promised similar events in the future and said growing interest in K-fashion continues to fuel global demand.

US cosmetics giant Estee Lauder has apologized after unilaterally shipping a darker shade of foundation to Asian customers, but their decision to single out women in their apology is drawing yet another round of criticism. The company came under fire earlier this week after a viral online review revealed that a matte foundation product ordered online arrived in a different shade with a note explaining that Ivory Nude was the “best color for Asians” while Shell, which the customer h

E-commerce giant Coupang has recently opened a counseling center for its female delivery staff members as part of efforts to create a healthy work environment, the company said. The center will conduct various activities designed to resolve obstacles at work and provide consultation which can be scheduled by phone or on its website. For those who find an in-person visit difficult, phone or text consultations are also available. As of November, Coupang had about 400 female delivery staffs and t