Big Bang’s T.O.P. to curate Sotheby’s Hong Kong auction

[THE INVESTOR] Big Bang’s T.O.P. will debut as a curator at an auction to be held by Sotheby’s Hong Kong in October according to YG Entertainment. For the sale “#TTTOP,” named after his Instagram account that boasts over 5 million followers, the member of the superstar K-pop band who also acts under the name Choi Seung-hyun will share his artistic side. Big Bang’s T.O.P. /  YG EntertainmentKnown to be an avid collector of designer furniture and contemporary art, he has contributed his collection

July 25, 2016

K-beauty attracts investment from international big shots

[THE INVESTOR] The Korean cosmetics industry is garnering attention from global investment banks and luxury conglomerates, thanks to the growing popularity of K-beauty products riding on the Korean Wave in China. Investment heavyweight Goldman Sachs teamed up with Bain Capital’s private equity fund to take over controlling stake of Carver Korea last month and will increase their stake pouring as much as US$675 million. Costmetic coners of Shinsegae Duty Free Shop in Seoul/ / The Investor(Lee San

July 22, 2016

Over 1,500 line up to taste Shake Shack burger in Korea

[THE INVESTOR] Food and confectionery giant SPC Group’s first Shake Shack outlet in Korea officially opened on July 22. More than 1,500 customers waited in line from the night before for a taste of the New York-based joint’s premium burger in southern Seoul, according to the company. As of 2 p.m. on the opening day, 420 customers visited the outlet, with the waiting line as long as 150 meters outside, it added. Shake Shack was established in 2001 by celebrity restauranteur Danny Meyer, starting

July 22, 2016

Cafe Droptop arrives in Southeast Asia

[THE INVESTOR] Starting with Malaysia, the coffee shop franchise Café Droptop is entering the Southeast Asian market, it announced on July 22. It recently signed a franchise agreement with Malaysian company KH F&B and will open the first outlet in Johor Baharu in December.The city on southern tip of the country has a bustling economy and growing interest in premium desserts and coffee, the company explained. Partnering with KH F&B, an established wood exporter, and setting up a local subsidiary,

July 22, 2016

No. of men shopping online jumps 64% in 2 years

[THE INVESTOR] Men, especially in their 40s and 50s, are going online to find what they want. In the first half of this year, the number of male shoppers hiked 32 percent on-year, according to major online shopping site Coupang. Its statistics released on July 21 revealed that men in 40s and 50s showed the biggest increase, jumping 75 percent and 127 percent from 2014, respectively. (123rf)The most frequently purchased items for men were home appliances and digital goods. And it was stuff for pe

July 21, 2016

Korean cosmetics in US could face racism criticism: KOTRA

[THE INVESTOR] Packages of Korean cosmetics selling in US contain expressions that could face criticism of racism, according to a report by Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency on July 21.The report notes that a disconcerting ratio of packages included incorrect translations and improper expressions, resulting in bringing down the overall image of Korean cosmetics.Whitening, for example, should be changed to brightening as customers can take it as an expression of racism, the agency pointed o

July 21, 2016

More choose to vacation at home for summer

[THE INVESTOR] A growing number of people are staying at home or close by to spend time on their own for summer vacation instead of driving or flying to faraway destinations. And the related industry is enjoying an upswing in sales. Sales of toys for grown-ups, video games and PC games surged this month, increasing up to four times from the same period last year, according to major discount store Lotte Mart. According to a survey of 1,000 people aged between 19 and 59, 50.6 percent did not find

July 21, 2016

Home shopping channels ready to chase customers during Olympics

[THE INVESTOR] Rio might be facing problems in preparation for the upcoming Olympics but television shopping channels here are buoyant hoping to profit from the international sports event. Major sports events usually lead to a spike in number of viewers and for the Rio Olympics the time difference will serve as another plus. As the games will be held and broadcast live near dawn in Korea, viewers will stay awake rising the chances of channels hopping into shopping, and the cable televisions do n

July 21, 2016

Watsons to sell Samsung Pharm’s mask sheets in China

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Pharm has signed an agreement to supply sheet masks to Hong Kong-based drugstore chain Watsons, it announced on July 20. Starting from the end of this month, the company’s mask packs will be available at 2,600 Watsons outlets in China, with expected annual sales of 10 billion won (US$8.74 million). By joining hands with the leading health and beauty store chain Watsons, which operates 11,400 stores across the world with an annual growth rate of 30 percent, Samsung Pharm “w

July 20, 2016