Raw, edgy and…under construction?

On a weekday evening, one cafe in western Seoul is about to close for the day while customers are still chatting away and enjoying their coffee. Repurposed from a shoe factory, this cafe is one of several trendy spots across the city that attract coffee drinkers and cafe enthusiasts alike, as numerous Instagram posts tagging the location show. “Industrial interior designs display the appeal of raw materials. Since it can give off a vintage or clean feel depending on the finish, demand i

June 16, 2022

W Concept kicks off global campaign for local fashion brands

W Concept, a South Korean online fashion platform under retail giant Shinsegae, said Thursday that it has started its first global campaign to support the overseas business of the country’s fashion brands. From Friday to June 24, the company will release a series of fashion photo shoots featuring Leandra Medine, a global fashion influencer, wearing items from Korean fashion brand Eenk. The items are from Eenk’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection, which includes patterned tops, dresses,

June 16, 2022

Food packages get smaller for customers weary of inflation

Amid price hikes and rising food bills, retailers in South Korea have come up with a new marketing strategy to keep customers satisfied. Convenience store chain CU has launched packages of vegetables, meat and fruit that are smaller and less expensive than the ones they usually sell. The store chain also offers packaged Korean pork belly, jowl meat, false lean, and flat iron steak in 200-gram packages. The company said it has cut margins by directly purchasing vegetables from distribution cen

June 13, 2022

[Newsmaker] McDonald’s Korea back on sale after six years

McDonald’s Korea, the local unit wholly owned by the US fast-food giant, is seeking a new owner -- joining the latest burger chain sales rush here. The company confirmed Friday that its US headquarters is selling its entire stake in the Korean unit as well as its business license after its first failed attempt six years ago. According to news reports, Mirae Asset Securities, the deal’s lead manager, plans to send letters as early as next month to invite potential bidders. With

June 12, 2022

Behind the success story of K-beauty brand Barenbliss in Southeast Asia

Budding cosmetics brand Barenbliss is garnering success in the Southeast Asian market, seeing rapid growth in online sales and receiving rave reviews from local media less than a year into its debut. In an interview with The Korea Herald, Barenbliss co-founder Jina Kim attributed her brand’s success to its “unique philosophy and insightful observations.” “Every product was produced on the basis of Bare Essential Plus, No Harm Plus, and Bliss Moment, the philosophies

June 9, 2022

S. Korean retailers on real estate shopping spree

South Korean retail companies have been on a shopping spree recently, purchasing real estate in Seoul’s major commercial districts and preparing for new business development. According to data from the Financial Supervisory Service, on May 31 fashion company CreaS F&C finalized the purchase of 1,950 square meters of land and a 9,338-square-meter building in Nonhyeon-dong, within Seoul’s Gangnam-gu. Based on the deal worth 130 billion won ($103.6 million), the firm stated that

June 8, 2022

Duty-free shops see customers return as tourism normalizes

With the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic’s endemic phase, South Korea’s duty-free shops are starting to see their long-awaited business recovery with a growing number of group tours, industry sources said Tuesday. According to a Lotte Duty Free official, some 150 tourists from Malaysia shopped at the Myeongdong branch for an hour on Tuesday before returning to their country. “It’s the first time in two years since COVID-19 started that a group of over 100 tourists

June 7, 2022

McDonald’s McWings makes a comeback

Fast-food chain McDonald’s Korea said Monday that it has relaunched its limited edition side menu McWings. McWings is a fried chicken snack that comes with a complimentary dipping sauce. First released in 2014, McWings created a fad in 2019 when it sold out earlier than expected. It has since become a favorite seasonal menu among chicken maniacs for its crispiness and salty flavor, according to the burger franchise. “McDonald’s is presenting a wide range of chicken menus, i

June 6, 2022

Mom’s Touch in search for new owner

South Korean chicken burger chain Mom’s Touch is searching for a new owner following its delisting from the nation’s second bourse Kosdaq on Tuesday. Its largest shareholder, local private equity firm Korea F&B Holdings, plans to buy shares at 62,000 won apiece for the next six months in order to protect minority shareholders. Following its delisting, industry watchers say sell-off talks are also expected to gain momentum. “Listed companies have legal obligations suc

June 3, 2022

JM Solution’s skin care products hit European market

JM Solution, the skin care brand from South Korean cosmetics company GP Club, said Thursday that it has recently started supplying products in Europe through local retailers. Its Believe in Nature face mask line is the first to hit the European market. The firm said it will continue diversifying its product lineup in phases. For the latest European push, the firm has partnered with two German retailers, Muller and dm-drogerie markt, which boast a combined 4,359 stores in 15 countries in Euro

June 2, 2022

[Photo News] World of Doughnuts

Doughnuts of various colors and ingredients are on display at a cafe and bakery fair held in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday.

May 26, 2022

Dongsuh Foods gives back to society through literary awards and more

Dongsuh Foods Corp. has sought to give back to society by holding literary contests, professional Go championships, and donating books to elementary school libraries. For the past three decades, the instant coffee giant has discovered thousands of female literary talents through its biennial contest. Some 240,000 pieces of literary work have been submitted to the Dongsuh Literary Awards, and about 6,000 writers have been awarded. Some 18,000 pieces were received for the 15th Dongsuh Literary Aw

May 26, 2022

S. Korea becomes world’s 10th largest luxury market: report

With Millennials and Generation Z -- those born from the 1980s onward -- emerging as major players in the luxury industry, South Korea ranked No. 10 in high-end fashion transactions last year, a report showed Wednesday According to Samjong KPMG, a Seoul-based consulting firm, the country’s luxury goods market size soared on-year by 29.6 percent to $5.8 billion in 2021. By 2024, it is projected to exceed $7 billion. Foreign luxury brands in major department stores in South Korea have see

May 25, 2022

Lotte Group to inject W38tr for health, mobility and more shopping malls

South Korean retail giant Lotte Group said Tuesday it is poised to inject 38 trillion won ($30 billion) over the next five years in the new growth-engine sectors -- health and wellness, mobility, and sustainability -- and core industry segments including chemical, retail and travel business. Following its recent announcement to enter the biomedical contract development and manufacturing organization business, the company will pour some 1 trillion won into building a new bio factory in the coun

May 24, 2022

Coway launches customizable bed frame

South Korean furniture and home appliance brand Coway said Friday that it has launched a new customizable bed frame product to reflect consumer trends shifting towards personalization. The product, Coway My Frame, allows consumers to customize the bed’s color, height and design. They can choose from a wide range of color and style combinations for the bed frame‘s headboard and sideboard, according to the furniture maker. Customers can alter the design later to accommodate lifestyl

May 23, 2022

3 more Paris Baguette stores open in Indonesia

SPC has opened three more Paris Baguette stores in Indonesia, the South Korean food and bakery company said Wednesday. According to SPC, two of the new stores are located at shopping malls in the country‘s capital Jakarta and the other is in South Tangerang. The latest opening of the bakery cafe came two months after the company’s fourth Paris Baquette store began operation in Bekasi in March. The first Paris Baguette in the Southeast Asian country opened in November 2021, shor

May 18, 2022

DAV International to release new collagen supplement

Local health product and cosmetics retailer DAV International said Tuesday that it has launched a collagen powder product that contains eight different vitamins and minerals. The product, All-in-one Daily Small-molecule Marine Collagen, not only supplies collagen to the skin, but contains vitamins essential to rejuvenate one‘s health. The company added more vitamin ingredients than are seen in other products, which usually have four, said a company official. The product is made up of t

May 11, 2022

Single-person households spend more on alcohol: report

South Korea’s single-person households proportionally spent more on alcohol than households with two or more people last year, a report showed Sunday. According to the Korea Rural Economic Institute’s report that analyzed the Statistics Korea’s data from 2021, single-person households spent 10.6 percent of their processed food spending on buying alcoholic beverages, whereas households with two or more people allocated 7.3 percent. The report showed that younger people living

May 8, 2022

Lotte trademarks Lotte Biologics in new bio push

South Korea’s retail giant Lotte Group has registered the trademark of “Lotte Biologics” with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, signaling the conglomerate’s official enter the bio industry. According to the KIPO, Lotte Holdings applied for Lotte Biologics’ patent last week with business areas including customized manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals, drug processing and medical diagnostic devices for virus testing. “Registering the trademark of Lotte

May 5, 2022

11st CEO pledges to enhance corporate value before IPO

Aiming to become a next Coupang, e-commerce platform 11st said Wednesday that it would work on raising its corporate value before its market debut slated for next year. “Based on our premium e-commerce service and joint membership service with SK Telecom, we will expand our business, boost sales and garner traction within the market this year,” said Ha Hyung-il, CEO of 11st. Ha said the company will strengthen its cross-border online shopping segment, Amazon Global Store, which wa

May 4, 2022