Homeplus said Friday it had signed a strategic partnership with E&J Gallo, a US-based winery, to introduce a wide range of US wines to the Korean market. According to the hypermarket chain, the two companies held an online joint business plan signing ceremony, to agree on establishing a stable distribution network. Founded in 1933, E&J Gallo stands as one of the biggest wineries in the US, Homeplus said. E&J Gallo currently has 75 affiliate companies and runs 120 brands, expor

South Korean coffeehouse chain Ediya Coffee said Thursday that revenue from its coffee delivery service increased around 660 percent over the last year, compared with a year before. According to data from the company, the number of delivery orders made between last October and September this year stood at 1.1 million, up 612 percent. from the same time last year. Ediya Coffee saw a sharper increase in order volume between April and June this year, during which the company saw a near 1,000 perc

Amazon Global Selling Korea said on Thursday it is ramping up support to help sellers and businesses branch out into the international market. Speaking at a livestreamed press event, Lee Sung-han, head of the South Korean unit of the e-commerce giant’s export program, praised South Korea’s handling of the pandemic as he unveiled plans to assist businesses in the country. “Despite the pandemic this year, we thank many sellers in South Korea who worked with Amazon to provide hi

eBay Korea’s next-day delivery service Smart Delivery on Monday launched a charity campaign to fund daily necessities for elderly single households. Part of the proceeds made through the company’s express delivery service will be donated to Miral Welfare Foundation and provide daily necessities kits for some 300 elderly people around the country who are living alone by early November, the firm said Monday. The campaign, which is funded in part through social contribution funds set

South Korean food maker Nongshim said Monday its flagship instant noodle Shin Ramyun Black has been chosen as one of the world’s best instant noodle brands by The Travel. Nongshim’s Shin Ramyun Black was listed among the four chosen for the best instant ramen of 2020 lest, released Thursday by The Travel, a global tour site based in Canada. Hailing the noodle as “the top competitor” in the instant noodle world, The Travel chose Shin Ramyun Black as “The best in

South Korea’s online shopping volume reached 14.38 trillion won ($12.4 billion) in August, the highest since records began in 2001. Mobile shopping volume was 9.32 trillion won, surpassing by far the money spent through online shopping on PCs. Online shopping also accounted for a record breaking 28.6 percent of overall retail sales, up 7.7 percent from the same time last year. While food delivery services and ready-made meals helped drive sales up as people spent more time at home foll

Cafe24 said on Wednesday that 35,836 new direct-to-consumer online stores were launched through its e-commerce platform, its highest figure in five years. The latest data means that store launchings during the quarter experienced a near 40 percent year-on-year increase, which comes down to over 10,000 new stores opening each month. September recorded the biggest growth during the quarter with 11,545 new stores joining the platform, a 50.34 percent jump from 3,866 in the same period last year.

Celebrating Founder‘s Day, McDonald’s Korea Managing Director Antoni Martinez expressed appreciation and encouragement to employees on Wednesday. McDonald‘s Founder’s Day is held in October annually, to celebrate the birthday of its founder Ray Kroc, who was born on Oct. 5, 1902. The anniversary is globally celebrated by the burger chain’s branches across the world. To carry on the customer- and store-centered business management spirit of the founder, chi

Retail giant Shinsegae Group said Monday it opened Starfield Ansung in Ansung, Gyeonggi Province, making it the largest shopping mall in the southern part of the province. According to the mall operator, the total floor space amounts to 240,000 square meters and the parking lot is big enough for 5,000 vehicles.  About 300 shops have entered the mall so far, and it also places various entertainment facilities, such as a 63-meter observatory and art exhibition spaces.  To prevent

McDonald’s Korea announced Monday a new action plan aimed to promote sustainable growth for society and the environment. Through a video on its YouTube channel, the burger chain introduced the slogan, “Small but Great Changes for a Better Community,” and presented its action plans in four sectors that include the earth, keeping quality ingredients and supply, society, and employment. For the earth and the environment, McDonald’s Korea pledged to reduce its usage of pl

More major e-commerce platforms are offering new services for grocery shoppers as demand for fresh food in online shopping continues to rise amid the ongoing pandemic, according to industry sources. In September, WeMakePrice announced it would start offering a full refund to shoppers who are dissatisfied with the quality of perishable goods sold on its website. The return rate was nearly zero percent during the trial period of the quality assurance service, one official at the company explain

South Koreans' direct purchases from overseas online malls more than doubled in the past five years in terms of value, a ruling party lawmaker said Wednesday.  Rep. Park Hong-geun of the ruling Democratic Party said the number of Koreans' overseas online direct buying jumped to 42.99 million in 2019 from 15.84 million in 2015, citing data from the Korea Customs Service (KCS). The value of foreign direct buying also soared to $3.14 billion from $1.51 billion over the cited period, the data

Shake Shack rolled out a new burger using traditional Korean red pepper paste Gochujang, Monday. The burger chain operated by SPC Group here said it came up with the limited edition item after its culinary director, Mark Rosati, drew inspiration from Korean dishes he had when he was traveling the country. The Gochujang Chicken Shack comes with a sous-vide chicken breast, spicy and sweet Gochujang glaze and sesame seeds, creating a flavor profile similar to the Korean-style seasoned spicy ch

CheongKwanJang said Monday it had officially launched its premium ginseng cosmetics brand Donginbi on Amazon’s US site. Opening its own brand shop on the world’s biggest ecommerce platform, CheongKwanJang said it will expand its business to target US customers who are interested in K-beauty and oriental medicine cosmetics. The cosmetics brand will offer a total of 20 skin care products via its online shop, including flagship products like the 1899 Single Essence and the 1899 Sig

Retailers are suffering from a tomato supply shortage, after farmland was damaged by the record-long summer monsoon season and a number of typhoons that hit the country this summer, according to the food industry on Monday. Local burger chain Lotteria recently posted an announcement on its website and in stores informing customers that it may temporarily stop selling or change ingredients used for burgers that use tomatoes, including the Hanoo Bulgogi Burger, AZ Burger, Wagye Edition II and H