Liquor makers pressured by increasing cost of logistics, raw materials

CJ Logistics, South Korea’s largest logistics firm, said Tuesday it has opened a regional office in Wroclaw, Poland, in a bid to target the European logistics market. According to CJ Logistics, Wroclaw is the largest industrial city and logistics hub in southern Poland. The company explained that the city functions as an important crossing region for European companies, as it is located right in the middle of Europe. Moreover, CJ Logistics explained that Poland is home to Gdansk port, wh

Transport Ministry to speed up legislative measures for “one-hour” nationwide delivery services

LG Household & Health Care said Monday that it will be unveiling its own portable temporary tattoo printer, dubbed Imprintu, at the upcoming Mobile World Congress that is slated to kick off next week in Barcelona, Spain. The company will be the first South Korean beauty firm to participate in MWC, one of the largest trade shows for telecommunications and mobility technologies. A combination of "impromptu" and "print," the tattoo printer connects with mobile devices to all

South Korean food companies reported robust sales last year, but high raw material prices weighed down their profit growth. In 2022, Korean food companies Lotte Confectionery, SPC Samlip, Ottogi and Nongshim newly joined the short list of Korean food companies who posted annual sales of 3 trillion won ($2.3 billion) or more -- a feat achieved by only four Korean food companies so far. The top four food companies leading the country in terms of sales, which include CJ CheilJedang, Dongwon F&B

The Korean retail industry is busy preparing measures to erase actor Yoo Ah-in from their brands' promotions, after the actor tested positive for marijuana use and became embroiled in an open drug test investigation for the illegal use of propofol. Musinsa, the largest online fashion platform in Korea by sales, told The Korea Herald that the company is currently reviewing the termination of its brand model contracts with the actor. "With the investigation currently underway, we first d

The value of overseas direct shopping exceeded $4.7 billion last year, significantly up from $2.7 billion in 2018, according to the latest data from the Korea Customs Service released Wednesday. The number of users also tripled over the past five years from 5.19 million to 15.57 million last year. It is the first time the figure has exceeded 15 million, coming to more than 1 in 4 people here. The most popular category for purchases was health-related foods, on which buyers spent a whopping $862

Starbucks Korea on Wednesday opened a new “The Bukhansan” store near an entrance to Bukhansan National Park in Seoul. The two-story building, with almost 1,000 square meters of floor space, aims to give visitors a special experience to interact with nature with a cup of coffee and enjoy the mountain view in the city center. Special features include a photo zone on the rooftop terrace and a walking trail surrounding the store building.

British American Tobacco’s South Korean branch announced Tuesday that the company will launch a new tobacco heating product, Glo Hyper X2, this month, in a bid to increase its share in the South Korean market. According to BAT Rothmans, the Korean arm of BAT, Glo Hyper X2 will be available on Feb. 27 at convenience stores and online e-commerce platforms. The new device is priced at 40,000 won ($31.56). “South Korea is making a significant contribution to BAT,” said BAT Rothmans

South Korea’s imports of kimchi touched an all-time high in 2022 amid galloping consumer inflation in the country, government data showed. Inbound shipments of the spicy Korean traditional side dish came to $169.4 million last year, up 20.4 percent from a year earlier, according to data from the Korea Customs Service. The on-year growth rate was the highest since the 53.8 percent surge recorded in 2010. Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish normally made of fermented cabbage, salt and h

The South Korean unit of international tobacco company Philip Morris Korea said on Wednesday it will release Iqos Iluma One in Korea this month, amid the tobacco companies' heated competition for market share in Korea. "The newly released Iqos Iluma One, which is the latest addition to our flagship heat-not-burn electronic cigarette brand Iqos, is most characterized by its all-in-one design," said PMK managing director Paik Young-jay during a press conference. According to Paik, u

Korean food giant Pulmuone is in talks with US food-tech company Yokai Express to sign a deal before July for the launch of vending machines that can cook instant meals, the firm said Tuesday. "Pulmuone is in due process of securing exclusive rights to distributing and installing Yokai Expresss' vending machines that will sell Pulmuone's products in Korea," a Pulmuone official told The Korea Herald. "We aim for the contract to be signed during the first half of this year

International shoppers are returning to South Korea amid eased virus restrictions, seeing sales rebound for local department stores. Hanwha Galleria, the retail arm of the Hanwha Group, said on Tuesday that sales in the luxury goods section at the Galleria Department Store in Apgujeong-dong, a posh shopping district in southern Seoul, had increased by 500 percent on-year between August and January. Hanwha Galleria’s Apgujeong branch is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Gangna

Robots replace certain human jobs, but create more for sophisticated management

KT&G, South Korea's dominant tobacco company, is making aggressive inroads into overseas markets in a bid to increase its sales and market share abroad, according to the company on Sunday. Aiming to foray into foreign markets, the company recently signed its first long-term sales and purchase agreement with global tobacco maker Philip Morris International. Under the 15-year agreement that lasts until January 2038, KT&G will be providing PMI with its heat-not-burn "lil" bra