Starbucks Korea to postpone annual marketing event after staff protest workload

Starbucks Korea has decided to postpone its annual marketing event following backlash from staff against overwork. The “e-frequency” reward program has taken place each winter. Customers who have collected enough stickers can redeem them for items such as diaries or free drinks. But this year’s event was pushed back by two weeks, essentially cutting the promotion period short. The move comes after Starbucks baristas and other employees mobilized two trucks to express their f

Oct. 8, 2021

Overworked Starbucks baristas take protest message to the streets

Baristas and other employees of Starbucks Korea mobilized two trucks emblazoned with words of protest on Thursday, expressing their pent-up anger against the coffee chain and calling out treatment they consider inhumane. “Starbucks Partners are not expendable. Partners, who have raised their voices for the first time in 22 years, shall not be silenced,” read the message on the sides of both trucks, which drove past symbolic locations in Seoul for Starbucks Korea.  These inclu

Oct. 7, 2021

Mexico recalls Buldak instant noodles for false labeling

Authorities in Mexico ordered a recall of a Buldak, or “fire chicken,” ramen product for misleading customers with its label, despite having “no trace of chicken” in it. The Office of the Federal Prosecutor for the Consumer announced the recall decision Monday there, concerning Buldak Ramen Cheese and 11 other instant noodle products from across nine manufacturers.  It targets a total of 129,937 packets distributed on shelves throughout the country. Included wer

Oct. 6, 2021

Seven Eleven prepares drone delivery service

Convenience store chain Seven Eleven has partnered with a local mobility software startup to use drones for product delivery, the company announced Wednesday. According to Seven Eleven, it will develop systems and infrastructure for delivery drones with Pablo Air, with plans to launch a pilot run later this year. The firm will open a new location outside of the greater Seoul area, possibly in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, which will act as a base for the drone’s first test flight. The

Oct. 6, 2021

GS Caltex teams up with Ikea to launch pickup service at gas stations

South Korean total energy company GS Caltex said Tuesday it has teamed up with home furnishing retail company Ikea Korea to launch a pickup service at one of its gas stations in Seoul’s Gangnam district, with plans to expand it across the country later this year. The move will cut the delivery fees to 19,000 won. Ikea delivery fees are relatively high because of the size and weight of the furniture products it sells. The new move comes as the number of online shoppers who use

Oct. 5, 2021

Samyang behind spicy Buldak ramen opens China office

South Korean instant noodle maker Samyang Foods is opening a branch in China, on the back of the worldwide popularity of its extremely spicy Buldak Ramen. The company said Tuesday the new office will launch in Shanghai in December, following the foundation of Samyang America in August. The China branch will focus on marketing and distribution of its products on the mainland, it said. China and the United States are key markets for the company, according to Samyang Foods, accounting for 45 p

Oct. 5, 2021

Online shopping increases 16.8% in Aug. amid pandemic

Online shopping in South Korea jumped 16.8 percent on-year in August to 15.8 trillion won ($13.3 billion), the highest transaction amount ever recorded for the month since records began in 2001, data showed Tuesday. According to data from Statistics Korea, food delivery orders set a new record high of 2.4 trillion won, rising from the previous month when the figure stood at around 2.3 trillion won. Statistics Korea said the COVID-19 pandemic and this year’s Tokyo Olympics contributed to

Oct. 5, 2021

More Shin Ramyun sold overseas than in Korea

International sales of Nongshim’s spicy Shin Ramyun surpassed local sales for the first time in the third quarter of this year, the South Korean foodmaker said Monday. Sales generated outside of South Korea accounted for 53.6 percent of the product‘s 690 billion won ($600 million) total sales in the first three quarters of the year. This is the first time that more Shin Ramyun was sold overseas since the product’s launch 35 years ago. Should the trend continue, Nongshim exp

Oct. 5, 2021

Starbucks workers plan rally over excessive workload

Baristas and employees of Starbucks Korea are fuming over excessive workload, after a recent marketing event drew customers lining up for hours. 　  Saying the company has no consideration for the working conditions of its already-overworked staff, the employees said they may stage their first-ever collection action this week.   A staffer at the US-based coffee chain, who requested anonymity, confirmed to The Korea Herald on Monday that workers are planning a rally this week. The

Oct. 4, 2021

Korean milk providers start to raise prices

South Korea’s major milk and dairy product providers are set to raise retail prices of their products next week. Namyang Dairy Products said Friday the company will increase retail prices of commercial milk products by an average 4.9 percent from Oct. 14. The firm said the prices of fermented and processed milk products will be risen 0.3 percent and 1.6 percent on average, respectively. For example, two packs of Delicious MilkGT, Namyang’s best-selling product, will be priced

Oct. 1, 2021

Dunkin’ Donuts apologizes for unsanitary donut factory

The Korean operator of Dunkin’ Donuts, BR Korea, issued an official apology Thursday saying it will “thoroughly abide by sanitary standards,” following a video showing donuts baked in unsanitary conditions. South Korea’s public broadcaster KBS aired on Wednesday a video taken by an anonymous worker this summer showing the inside of the firm’s donut factory in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province. The footage shows dough stained with orange droplets that are presumed to ha

Sept. 30, 2021

[Newsmaker] COVID-19 cashback scheme criticized over fairness

South Korea’s new cashback scheme, designed to encourage private spending, has rather unusual criteria for coverage. Money spent at Emart Every Everyday stores is eligible for rewards, but not at Emart outlets. Businesses covered by the scheme include Ikea, Starbucks, small supermarket chains, hotels, movie theaters, restaurants as well as delivery apps. But purchases made at big supermarket chains such as Emart, Costco and Homeplus as well as department stores and duty-free stores do n

Sept. 30, 2021

[Feature] Not just headsets: Gaming gear gets dedicated furniture, room

Gamers are fast becoming the latest demographic target for the retail industry as companies rush to take advantage of a recent surge in video gaming. Last week, Swedish furniture giant Ikea unveiled a lineup of furniture designed for gamers as a collaboration project with Republic of Gamers -- a gaming-focused brand by a Taiwanese computer manufacturer. Hitting the shelves next month, the company said the new range including gaming desks, chairs as well as accessories is aimed at “democr

Sept. 30, 2021

Retail sales up 6.4% in Aug. on popularity of food delivery

Retail sales in South Korea moved up 6.4 percent in August from a year earlier, data showed Wednesday, as people continued to purchase more food and groceries online amid the new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The combined sales of 25 major offline and online retailers reached 12.6 trillion won ($10.6 billion) last month, compared with 11.9 trillion won tallied in the previous year, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Sales from offline stores moved up 2

Sept. 29, 2021

BAT unveils glo pro slim in Korea

BAT Rothmans on Monday launched the new tobacco heating product Glo Pro Slim in South Korea in an online media conference. Glo Pro Slim marks the latest edition of the Glo series, following the launch of Glo Pro early last year. The company said the new product adds to its growing list of Glo products and will appeal to consumers seeking potentially reduced-risk products. “BAT Rothmans will lead the market transformation through product portfolio expansion and innovation in tobacco heati

Sept. 27, 2021

[Weekender] Metaverse: the new gold rush

A growing number of South Korean companies are turning to the metaverse to offer new services, promote their products and train their staff, ushering in what has been described as the “future of the internet.” BGF Retail, the firm behind convenience store chain CU, opened the second store on Zepeto recently -- a 3D avatar metaverse platform run by South Korea’s largest web portal operator Naver. Following the opening of the “world’s first” virtual store in A

Sept. 25, 2021

Gordon Ramsay to bring his burgers to Seoul

Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay will open a Seoul branch of his famed burger restaurant at Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, southern Seoul, this December. The Seoul location will be the first Gordon Ramsay Burger in Asia, and the third branch to open globally. Ramsay rose to stardom as the iconic host of “Hell’s Kitchen,” an American cooking competition show that has aired since 2005. The British chef owns several restaurants under his name which, all together, have earned

Sept. 24, 2021

Secondhand smartphone market sees growth in Korea

The secondhand smartphone market is enjoying a bump from recent releases of flagship models from Samsung and Apple. According to Bungaejangter on Friday, a South Korean mobile secondhand marketplace, the volume of transactions for used smartphones has reached some 100 billion won as consumers switched to new phones. Used phone transactions have become the most traded category on the platform during the first half of this year so far. The company said the “secondhand market has been energ

Sept. 24, 2021

Lotte Department Store offers first-ever voluntary retirement

Lotte Department Store is offering its first-ever voluntary retirement since first opening 42 years ago. The operator of the department store chain, Lotte Shopping, said Friday it told employees that it will be “accepting voluntary retirement applications for the next two weeks” in an internal announcement Thursday. The restructuring program is particularly for staff members who have worked for the firm for more than 20 years. Around 2,000 employees meet this qualification, the

Sept. 24, 2021

CJ’s Bibigo sponsors LA Lakers

NBA superstar LeBron James will be playing in a Bibigo-branded jersey for the upcoming season, as CJ’s frozen dumpling and sauce brand signed a partnership deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. The basketball team announced on its social media Tuesday, local time, that it signed a marketing partnership with Bibigo’s US branch.  Attached with the announcement was a photo of LeBron James wearing a Bibigo-embroidered uniform. ”We’re proud to introduce our new patch part

Sept. 22, 2021