After a cluster of COVID-19 infections was reported at a department store in Seoul, large retail outlets are fearing it will cause a ripple effect and scare shoppers away. As of Sunday, nearly a week after the first infection was identified at Hyundai Department Store’s branch at Coex, Gangnam, at least 118 cases have been found to be linked to the store. The first patients were two staffers who tested positive on July 4. They worked on the basement floor, where the supermarket and fo

E-commerce platform 11st will begin selling an entire line of BTS tumblers and bottles produced by New York-based design company Built New York in collaboration with the South Korean pop group, in Korea on Monday. Though a bottle and a tumbler inspired by BTS’ video for “Idol” were released in June, a total of 16 items will be sold for the first time in the country through a live show known as “Live 11,” the platform said. With each design representing a member of

Revenue, income and jobs all declined

South Korean supermarket chain Homeplus has appointed former CEO of McDonald’s Korea Cho Ju-yeon as its new chief marketing officer, in an executive reshuffle announced on Thursday. Cho made headlines in 2016 when she became the first female CEO at the South Korean unit of the fast food restaurant. Hwang Jeong-wook, who formerly served as the chief financial officer at the Korean unit of AstraZeneca, will become the new chief financial officer at Homeplus. The move comes as the company

BAT Korea unveiled a new study on Monday that showed its tobacco heating product Glo was able to “significantly” reduce harmful exposure to toxic substances. The recent study published in the Journal of Internal and Emergency Medicine offers the “first real-world evidence” that switching from cigarettes to exclusive use of Glo, the company’s flagship product, has a similar impact on indicators of potential harm as quitting smoking, BAT said. The findings, which we

South Korea’s antitrust watchdog has launched a probe into e-commerce giant Coupang over the accusation that the company has meddled with algorithms to prioritize its own products, according to multiple reports on Sunday. According to the reports, the Korea Fair Trade Commission conducted an on-the-spot inspection at Coupang’s headquarters office in Seoul late last month following accusations that it had violated the Fair Trade Act. One of the accusations claims that Coupang had me

Shin Dong-won, the eldest son of the late founder and chairman of Nongshim Group Shin Choon-ho, has been inaugurated as the new chairman of Nongshim Group, the South Korean food company said Thursday. The promotion of Shin, who was formerly Nongshim’s vice chairman, was decided at a temporary board of directors meeting, the company said, to allow him to succeed to the post of his late father who died of chronic illness in March at the age of 92. Under the second-generation leader, Non

GS Group’s retail units merged to combine online and offline strengths

Leisure platform to brand itself as “leading global tech company”

French designer brand Ami has tapped K-pop group Enhypen as its first global ambassadors. The septet, with previous hit singles including “Fever” and “Drunk-Dazed,” will help the brand expand its presence at home and abroad, Samsung C&T said Monday. Founder and creative director Alexandre Mattiussi said the energy, authenticity and message of inclusivity from the group resembles that of Ami, as he welcomed the decision. Famous for its signature logo featuring the l

Coway, a South Korean home appliance rental firm, has been named one of the “Best Korea Brands 2021” by global management consulting firm Interbrand. This year’s recognition marks the seventh year running that the company has been named among the 50 best brands that represent South Korea. Coming in the 27th place, Coway’s brand value enjoyed a 8.1 percent year-on-year increase and was estimated at 1.12 trillion won. Leading the global environmental home appliances with

Once dominated by mass-produced best-sellers, beer industry is shifting towards more independent, smaller breweries

Shinsegae Department Store will build a new department store in the envisioned Suseo Station Transit Center Complex, the company said Friday. According to the retail giant, a consortium led by Hanwha Engineering and Construction and participated in by Shinsegae has been chosen as the preferred candidate for the Suseo Station Transit Center Complex Development Project, which is worth about 1.2 trillion won. The Suseo Station Transit Center Complex Development Project aims to develop a 115,927

E-Land Group’s fast fashion brand SPAO said Thursday it would launch a casual hanbok collection ranging from robes, pajamas to accessories. Ten items featuring patterns inspired by plum blossoms and bamboo will be released as part of the collection, which will go on sale online on the brand’s official website and fashion e-commerce platform Musinsa on Friday. The collection, which is a collaboration project with hanbok brand Leesle, garnered attention before its official release ov

BAT Korea has unveiled a new “Eco Package” for its tobacco heating product Glo in its latest effort to embrace environmental, social and corporate governance values. To minimize carbon emissions and resources during the product distribution process, the size of the package has been reduced 30 percent, the South Korean unit of the British multinational company said. In addition, the product instructions have been simplified while the charging adapter, which was mainly made of plast