Diageo Korea launches new drinks with lower alcohol content

Diageo Korea said Wednesday that it has launched two new products, W 19 and W Honey, the first spirits in the local industry with just 32.5 percent alcohol by volume. The liquor maker said it had decided to lower the alcohol content of the new products to meet the rising demand for drinks that are less than full strength, as the drinking culture is rapidly changing here. Both drinks have the optimal strength for consumers in their 30s and 40s who value smoothness and new flavors, the compan

July 15, 2020

SPC Group confronts pandemic woes with wider overseas ventures

While the COVID-19 pandemic has depressed the performance of many businesses, the opposite is true for South Korean food company SPC Group, which has expanded its overseas business in recent months. In June, SPC Group -- owner of the country’s biggest bakery brand, Paris Baguette -- announced that it would launch the brand in Canada. It will be the seventh country the company has entered. The COVID-19 pandemic means it will take longer than usual to find partner firms and conduct market

July 15, 2020

Boosted by Shin Ramyun, Nongshim records highest-ever US sales in H1

South Korean food maker Nongshim said Monday its US sales totaled about $164 million in the first half of this year, the firm’s highest-ever figure in the country, led by sales of Shin Ramyun. The company attributed the notable sales in the US to the brand power of Shin Ramyun, its flagship noodle brand. The company also said the popularity was helped by increased demand for instant food products amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The South Korean company’s instant noodle products are g

July 13, 2020

Sulwhasoo makes foray into Indian market

Premium cosmetic brand Sulwhasoo has launched its products in India through local retailer Nykaa’s online e-commerce channel, its manufacturer Amorepacific said Monday. Following the launch on Monday, the company said it plans to make Sulwhasoo available at Nykaa Luxe stores in major cities across the country, including Delhi and Mumbai. With a population of nearly 1.4 billion and a growing middle class, the South Asian country’s cosmetics market is estimated to be worth $14.8 bill

July 13, 2020

Coupang deploys 2,400 inspectors to prevent distribution center outbreak

Coupang, an e-commerce giant here, said Thursday it will deploy 2,400 safety inspectors in all of its Rocket Delivery Centers, to watch over the disinfection processes to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Coupang has been upping its prevention measures after it closed several distribution centers found with employees confirmed with COVID-19. According to Coupang, the inspectors will monitor its distribution centers to make sure that all orders made are prepared and delivered under the safety g

July 13, 2020

SoftBank-backed Coupang buys Hooq assets to take on Netflix

South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang is buying the software of Hooq Digital, the South-east Asian video streaming service owned by Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel), Sony and Warner Bros that's filed for liquidation, according to people familiar with the deal. Coupang has already struck a deal to acquire the assets, the people said, asking not to be named because the information hasn't been announced. The deal ushers SoftBank-backed Coupang into a competitive over-the-top video streamin

July 10, 2020

OB unveils lineup for “2020 CASS Blue Playground” livestream concert

Oriental Brewery’s flagship beer brand Cass unveiled the lineup for “Cass Blue Playground Connect 2.0,” its annual music festival, on social media Monday. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the concert will be livestreamed on its official YouTube channel and Facebook, on July 18 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., the company said. The lineup includes Sehun & Chanyeol of K-pop boy group EXO (EXO-SC), who were recently selected as Cass summer campaign models, K-pop girl group Red Velvet

July 6, 2020

[Photo News] Absolut’s project for a breathing city

Pernod Ricard Korea President and CEO Jean Touboul (center) draws on a bottle that has been prepainted with Airlite, an eco-friendly paint, during the Absolut Eco Street Art Project held by the company in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, on Monday. The liquor maker built a structure using container boxes, on which a graffiti artist Xeva depicted “The Breathing City,” using special eco-friendly paint Airlite. The Absolut Eco Street Art Project is Pernod Ricard Korea’s first attem

July 6, 2020

Baemin Kitchen attracts Vietnam market with 'B-rated' humor marketing

Baedal Minjok, a South Korean food delivery app, said Monday it is making progress in expanding business in Vietnam with its shared kitchen service, helping Korean food franchises tap into the market there. The food delivery service, operated by Woowa Brothers, said it plans to open second and third Baemin Kitchen branches in Ho Chi Minh in the second half of this year, following the first store that opened in November 2019. The company presented its food delivery app Baemin in Ho Chi Minh in

July 6, 2020

Retailers set to hold bargain events over weekend amid state-led sales festival

Shoppers who want to bag a bargain may have to visit major retailers across the country over the weekend as major outlets are planning to hold big events in line with a state-led sales festival designed to boost spending amid the pandemic. South Korea kicked off the 17-day sales festival, called the "Korea Donghaeng Sale" campaign, on June 26 in an effort to boost faltering domestic demand amid the new coronavirus outbreak. "Donghaeng" means going along together in Korean.

July 4, 2020

Disaster relief fund encourages eating out more in May: statistics

The state COVID-19 relief funds distributed in May appear to have led more people to eat out or spend money on food at physical stores, according to data released by the country’s statistics agency on Friday. Statistics Korea said the value of online shopping transactions was 12.72 trillion won ($10.6 billion) in May, up 13.1 percent compared to a year earlier. The online shopping transaction value had jumped 24.5 percent in February, but with the COVID-19 spreading further in March,

July 3, 2020

McDonald’s Korea rolls out Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe

McDonald’s Korea said Thursday it is rolling out a deluxe version of its steady-seller Quarter Pounder with Cheese as a limited edition that will add more fresh vegetables to the standard burger. According to the burger chain, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe adds more fresh vegetables, including lettuce, tomato and onions, to the standard burger to bring a richer flavor. The new burger is available for a limited time until July 29. The Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe is al

July 2, 2020

Baskin-Robbins hires BTS as to represent August flavor

Baskin-Robbins, the American ice cream chain that is operated by SPC Group in Korea, said Thursday it has hired K-pop boy band BTS to promote the flavor of the month in August. Baskin-Robbins said it has finished shooting the advertisement and photos to promote the new flavor of ice cream set for August with BTS, and will release them next month via social media and on cable TV. The company said it will also roll out various promotional goods, such as a “projection light” to cel

July 2, 2020

Tmon undergoes makeover to pursue profit under new CEO

E-commerce is booming, particularly due to the pandemic. With just one click, customers can get almost anything they desire delivered to the doorstep within a day, or even hours. Major e-commerce companies such as Coupang and Tmon are reportedly seeing their annual turnover pass over the trillion-won mark, and similar companies have been springing up, presenting new services that maximize consumers’ convenience. But contrary to the attention these e-commerce firms are receiving, the ind

July 1, 2020

Amorepacific, 11st forge strategic partnership

Cosmetics giant Amorepacific Group said Wednesday it has signed a strategic partnership with 11Street, an e-commerce platform, to reinforce its digital sales. Amorepacific CEO Ahn Se-hong and 11Street CEO Lee Sang-ho signed the joint business partnership deal at the cosmetic firm’s headquarters in Seoul. Under the agreement, Amorepacific will broadcast monthly live commerce shows on 11Street to promote its makeup products. The previous live broadcasts in April and May promoted Amorepa

July 1, 2020

COVID-19, seafood, home meal: popular keywords for online shopping in H1

“COVID-19,” “seafood” and “home meals” have risen as popular keywords for online shoppers in the first half of this year, online grocery platform Market Kurly said Wednesday. Market Kurly said it analyzed sales data it collected from January to June and found that products related to the three keywords saw jumps in sales. Sales of items in the living and health category on the platform, such as face masks, grew by 170 percent compared to the year before.

July 1, 2020

[Best Brand] Skin rejuvenating mask tows SNP's overseas business

SKIN CARE SNP (SD BIO TECHNOLOGIES)　 Skin rejuvenating facial masks are the secret behind SNP’s global success, according to the firm. SNP, a skin care beauty brand under the company SD Technologies, touts the Bird’s Nest Aqua Ampoule Mask as its bestselling product. Using nourishing natural ingredients form swiftlet nests, the famed SNP bird’s nest masks are rich in protein and vitamins. The swiftlet’s nest has 200 times the sialic acid than royal jelly, providing ef

June 30, 2020

[Best Brand] Charmzone’s Gingko stands as No. 1 cleansing brand

COSMETICS GINKGO (CHARMZONE) Since it was launched in 1993, Ginkgo has been the flagship cleansing brand for cosmetics company Charmzone, recording the company’s highest sales for 22 consecutive years. Charmzone recently released the renewed version of the Ginkgo All New Cleansing Tissue, which is a steady seller with accumulated sales of 1.25 billion sheets as of March this year. The cleansing tissue received much attention even before its renewal, as Korean actress Jang Nara endo

June 30, 2020

Lotte Department Store launches 3-hour delivery service

Lotte Department Stores said Monday it is starting a new delivery service where customers can receive their online orders within three hours inside Seoul as the first department store to offer such a rapid delivery service here. According to the retail giant, 90,000 products from 400 brands being sold at the department store branches will be available for the “Baro Baesong,” which is translated into direct delivery, to all areas in Seoul. All purchases on Lotte’s online pl

June 29, 2020

Retail sales up 2% in May on higher demand for online shipping

Retail sales in South Korea increased 2 percent in May from a year earlier as people purchased more sanitary items and foodstuffs through online platforms in the face of the new coronavirus pandemic, data showed Monday. The combined sales of 26 major offline and online retailers reached 11.63 trillion won ($9.65 billion) last month, up from 11.4 trillion won a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The increase was attributable to a rise in

June 29, 2020