[Feature] Will cosmetic refills take off in Korea?

Beauty products often come in extravagant packaging -- only to later end up in a landfill after a single use. Statistics show only 10 percent of cosmetics packaging is recyclable, due to the complex designs, colors and multilayer structures. Faced with growing criticism for its contribution to the global waste problem and in a bid to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers, cosmetics companies are turning to refilling stations where consumers can bring empty bottles and buy what they

Sept. 17, 2021

Gmarket‘s global shop sales jump during Chuseok promotion

Gmarket said on Thursday its global shop sales during this year’s Chuseok promotion, which ended on Tuesday, increased compared to last year’s thanks to a wider selection of items on sale and more discount coupons. Gmarket’s global shop, which sells to about 80 countries through its English and Chinese websites, said its sales of household items jumped 110 percent from the previous Mega G-Festival, and sales of books and records climbed more than 30 percent. Sales of beauty p

Sept. 17, 2021

Shinsegae to turn gas stations into commercial complexes

Shinsegae Group plans to turn gas stations into commercial complexes that combine retail and mobility, the retail-focused group said Wednesday. Its property development arm, Shinsegae Property, has signed a business partnership with Koramco Energy Plus REITs for the project. 　 The plan is to transform gas stations owned by the real estate investment trust into what it described as “new distribution bases in urban areas that incorporate commercial facilities with distribution.” The

Sept. 15, 2021

Pernod Ricard Korea to inaugurate new CEO

Pernod Ricard Korea said Tuesday that Frantz Hotton has been inaugurated as the new CEO of the Korean subsidiary of global wine and spirits company Pernod Ricard Group. Hotton, who is the current CEO of Pernod Ricard Hong Kong & Macao, was appointed to lead the South Korean unit in July. He joined the company as a marketing manager in 1995 and rose to be a professional C-level executive within the group, having served in various marketing and sales-related roles. Under his leadership, the

Sept. 14, 2021

Chicken burger chain Mom’s Touch to open 100 stores in US by 2025

South Korean chicken burger chain Mom’s Touch said Tuesday it plans to open 100 stores in the United Sates in the next four years. Though the fast food chain opened a test store in the US in 2017, it struck a master franchise agreement with a local business partner and opened its first location in California earlier this year. Following the success of the first store, the company plans to open a drive-thru store sometime this year in the Long Beach area. The first location in California

Sept. 14, 2021

Lotte Confectionery to release special BTS edition for Xylitol chewing gum

Lotte Confectionery said Friday that it will release a special BTS edition of its popular Xylitol chewing gum next month. The new edition will come in 10 packaging options -- seven representing each member of the septet and the other three featuring the group in its entirety. The gum has two flavors, Apple Mint and Purple Mix, which is a mixture of grapefruit and blueberries. With the volume of the package double the regular size, the company said the new special edition will make them more

Sept. 10, 2021

SPC Group opens first Eggslut store in Singapore

SPC Group said on Thursday it has opened the first Eggslut store in Singapore in the busy Orchard Road shopping district. The move comes after the South Korean food company purchased the operating rights for the country for the LA-based breakfast chain restaurant focusing on egg dishes in 2020. Founded by Filipino-American chef Alvin Calian, the first store in Korea opened in June last year. Three stores are currently in operation in the country. Alongside its popular items such as egg sandw

Sept. 9, 2021

South Korea ranks fifth in social app spending as KakaoTalk and YouTube take lead

South Koreans spent 143 billion won ($123 million) on social media applications during the first half of this year, becoming the fifth-largest market in the world, new data from app analytics firm App Annie revealed Wednesday. The top four countries were the US, Japan, China and Saudi Arabia. Users in Korea spent the most time on video streaming app YouTube, while spending the most money on KakaoTalk -- a popular messaging app with features such as banking and shopping that boasts over 45 mill

Sept. 8, 2021

[News Analysis] What is behind South Korea’s rising milk prices?

Retail milk prices are expected to rise soon following an increase in the price of raw milk last month. After the decision by the Korea Dairy Committee to raise the price of raw milk from Aug. 1, major milk and dairy product suppliers are mulling when to reflect this in their retail prices. “When to increase the prices or by how much are still under discussion,” one official at Seoul Dairy Cooperative, the largest milk producer in South Korea, told The Korea Herald. “With r

Sept. 8, 2021

[Newsmaker] LX Hausys enters race for top furniture maker Hanssem

LX Hausys, formerly LG Hausys, which specializes in windows and interior materials, has entered the race to acquire South Korea’s top furniture maker Hanssem. The company, which is part of LX Group – a new entity that was separated from LG Group earlier this year, is the latest to show interest in buying a controlling stake in the firm, following other retail giants including Lotte, according to multiple reports. For its bid, LX Hausys will be joining a private equity fund set up

Sept. 7, 2021

Malaysia’s largest Halal show to kick off on Sept. 9

Malaysia will present halal products to the global audience at the upcoming Malaysia International Halal Showcase, or MIHAS, set to kick off Thursday. “We truly believe that small and medium sized Malaysian brands have the potential to become Halal champions. Through MIHAS we hope to facilitate the sourcing and selling of quality halal consumables, products and services globally,” said Dr. Halim Mohammad, the chairman of Malaysia External Trade Development Corp. during an online me

Sept. 6, 2021

SPC Group to open 18th Shake Shack in Hongdae

SPC Group will open its 18th Shake Shack store in the bustling Hongdae district in Seoul in September, the company said Friday. While the store is currently under renovation, Shake Shack has decorated the fence around the store with a colorful mural by media artist Vakki depicting burgers and milkshakes in an “urban playground,” SPC said. Shake Shack has featured similar art on the fence of every one of its stores across the country. To celebrate the opening of the Hongdae bran

Sept. 3, 2021

Facing criticism over racism, Japanese cosmetics firm DHC pulls out of S. Korea

Japanese cosmetics firm DHC announced on Thursday that it was withdrawing its business from South Korea later this month amid growing criticism over the company’s racially discriminatory stance against Koreans. In a statement on its website, DHC Korea said it had strived to satisfy customers with great service and products but “regrettably decided to end its operation in South Korea.” The closure of the business is scheduled for Sept. 15, nearly 20 years after it entered the

Sept. 2, 2021

Korean food catering company Our Home expands to the United States

South Korean food catering service provider Our Home will run a cafeteria for the United States Postal Service, becoming the first Korean firm to clinch a deal from a US public institution. The company said Wednesday that its US branch won a bid to operate a cafeteria in the institution’s processing and distribution center in Los Angeles. The 1,421 square meter facility will open by the end of this month and operate for 24 hours every day. The USPS is a public institution that oversee

Sept. 1, 2021

Amazon Global Store launches in Korea

Global online retailer Amazon and South Korean e-commerce platform 11st launched the Amazon Global Store on 11st on Tuesday. The move has made it easier to buy tens of millions of products available on Amazon’s US website, ranging from PCs, toys and fashion to electronics, with free shipping on orders over 28,000 won ($24). Though the service has been in operation in 12 other countries, it marks the first time Amazon is working with a local company for the launch. It also makes 11st the

Aug. 31, 2021

Online orders flood in for Jincheon store after county accepts Afghan evacuees

A Jincheon-based online store has temporarily suspended taking new orders after a drastic surge in orders following the county’s decision to accept Afghan evacuees. In a statement released on the website Sunday, JC Mall said its order volume had jumped “more than twentyfold” since Friday, compared with other weekends. Its increased popularity comes after hundreds of evacuees from Afghanistan were admitted to the Leadership Campus of the National Human Resources Development I

Aug. 30, 2021

Government to bring back cashback scheme for food delivery service amid fourth wave

The government is set to bring back its cashback scheme for food delivery services next month to soften the blow from the fourth wave of COVID-19. Consumers will receive 10,000 won ($8.60) back for every four orders made on delivery apps worth 20,000 won each, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance on Sunday. The scheme is expected to take effect sometime before the Chuseok holiday next month to help boost spending in the hospitality industry. With some 20 billion won set aside for

Aug. 29, 2021

Ikea Korea says won’t raise prices in next 12 months

Ikea Korea will not raise product prices in the next 12 months, sticking to its policy of offering quality products at low prices, the Swedish furniture giant’s Korean unit said Thursday. Holding an online press conference, the firm also revealed that in the fiscal year ending this month, it has seen a 23 percent jump in consumer visits to both online and offline stores but sales growth stood at a disappointing 3.4 percent. In the previous fiscal year, the company had reported about 30 p

Aug. 26, 2021

Hyundai Livart introduces Giorgetti, expands luxury furniture

Hyundai Livart, a furniture brand under Hyundai Department Store, is introducing a luxury Italian furniture brand to South Korea, as it bids to expand into the luxury segment. The company said Wednesday it is opening a showroom for Giorgetti at two Hyundai Department Stores -- the Trade Center branch in Samseong-dong and Pangyo branch in Gyeonggi Province -- on Thursday. Some 50 products from the Italian brand, ranging from chairs, tables and sofas to kitchenware, will be made available at

Aug. 25, 2021

Robots to fry chicken at Kyochon

Kyochon F&B, the firm behind South Korea’s biggest fried chicken franchise Kyochon Chicken, is deploying chicken-frying robots, the company said Tuesday. According to Kyochon, the first such machine has started work at one of its franchise stores in Songdo, Incheon. Kyochon double fries its chicken to create a unique crisp texture, and the robots will take charge of the second act, the firm said. Developed jointly with Doosan Robotics, the machine is a cooperative robot that can

Aug. 24, 2021