(Photo courtesy of SPC)The sixth Shake Shack store in Korea has opened at Incheon Airport’s new terminal. It is the largest among five other branches of the burger chain at airports worldwide. Shake Shack stores in Korea are operated exclusively by SPC Group. The new branch is located on the first basement level of Incheon Airport’s Terminal 2, slated to open Thursday. It will offer a variety of new items including Egg N’ Cheese, Shack Blended Coffee and a dessert called Fly Me to the Shack.Offi

Incheon Airport officially opens its second terminal Thursday, marking its first large-scale expansion in 17 years armed with smart technologies.  A view of Incheon Airport’s Terminal 2 from the control tower. YonhapPassengers at Terminal 2 will be able to complete the whole check-in process in 30 minutes via a host of smart technologies, such as automated check-in services and a face-recognition system, according to Incheon Airport. In addition, larger waiting areas in the departure and arrival

The government eased a key anti-corruption law’s limits on the value of certain gifts Wednesday, saying it hoped the change would bolster agricultural sales.“The effectuation of the revision to the enforcement ordinance of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act is expected to bring great and positive change to agricultural and fishery industries, especially with the New Year’s holiday less than a month away,” said Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Kim Young-rok during a press brie

About 64 percent of part-time staffers at eateries in Korea were in favor of banning customers accompanied by children from the premises, a recent survey showed. (The Korea Herald)According to the survey conducted by Albamon, a part-timer recruiting website, about 64 percent of 1,268 part-timers at eateries supported a “no-kids policy.”More than 84 percent of the respondents said they had experienced inconvenience due to children.South Korea has seen a growing number of child-free venues in rece

When the mercury falls below zero in one of the coldest regions in Korea -- cold enough to freeze the river -- it is then that the place gets ready to begin the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival.This year’s Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, now in its 15th year, kicked off on Jan. 6. At least 380,000 local and foreign guests visited Hwacheon County in Gangwon Province during the first three days of the three-week festival. Ice fishing is just one of the highlights of the festival, which includes

For an increasing number of Koreans, rice and noodles are no longer the foundation of their meals. A growing appetite for sandwiches and baked goods like cakes, pastries and doughnuts have made bakeries ubiquitous across Korea.Wheat consumption has continued to grow in a country where traditionally a meal without rice was no meal at all. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the average South Korean ate 33.2 kilograms of wheat flour in 2016.(123RF)Meanwhile, rice cons

　2016년 7월 한국에 상륙해 폭염 속에서도 버거를 사기 위해 하루 종일 줄이 늘어서는 진풍경을 연출했던 ‘쉑쉑버거’(쉐이크쉑)이 인천공항 제 2터미널(T2)에 들어오는 신매장에는 무인주문 시스템인 ‘키오스크(Kiosk)’ 설치를 고려하고 있다고 밝혔다. 　　쉐이크쉑은 2016년 개점 초 최소 한 시간 이상 줄을 서야 주문할 수 있었다. 폭염 속에서 기다리는 소비자들에게 닥칠 혹시 모를 건강상 위험을 대비해 SPC 측에서 부채와 생수는 물론, 간호사까지 준비시킬 정도였다. 　  인천공항 제2터미널(T2)에 입점 예정인 인기 햄버거 매장 쉐이크 쉑(Shake Shack) 6호점 (사진=인천공항공사 제공)하지만 이번 달 18일 인천공항 제 2터미널에 개장하는 쉑쉑버거 국내 6호점에서는 길게 선 줄을 대신할 수 있는 주문과 결제가 한번에 가능한 키오스크가 선보일 가능성이 높다. 　　쉐이크쉑을 국내에 들여온 SPC그룹 관계자는 10일 “인천공항 제 2터미널의 전반적인 무인 키오스크 컨셉에

LG Hausys, a South Korean construction material supplier, has been striving to penetrate the North American market through active marketing and localization, with the aim of becoming the top acrylic scagliola maker in the United States. Attendees of the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Orlando look at LG Hausys’ acrylic scagliola and engineered stone products. LG HausysAs part of its efforts, the company participated in one of the largest local exhibitions, The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, which

Starbucks Korea’s “2018 lucky bags” are set to go on sale Thursday, offering a random selection of goodies and special edition items.  Starbucks Korea’s 2018 lucky bags. Starbucks KoreaThis year, the coffee chain will release 14,000 bags containing six items, such as tumblers, water bottles, mugs, muddlers, coasters and three free beverage coupons, at 1,000 stores nationwide. There will also be two new special edition items: a color-changing tumbler and Yunnori, a Korean traditional board game.

Korea’s largest tobacco maker KT&G said it will increase the price of Fiit, a tobacco product exclusively designed for its heat-not-burn device Lil, from next week.  KT&GFiit, a tobacco-filled stick that works with Lil, was released at 4,300 won ($4) in November. The company said the price of Fiit will go up to 4,500 won, reflecting a recent increase in the individual consumption tax imposed on HNB products and other levies such as a health promotion fee. The company has worked to minimize the p

LG Household & Health Care’s royal-themed cosmetics brand Whoo achieved sales of 1.42 trillion won ($1.3 billion) last year, following its continued popularity in China and Southeast Asia.  Chinese consumers shop for LG Household & Health Care’s Whoo products at a department store in Shanghai, China. LG Household & HealthcareSince its launch in 2003, Whoo has seen 40 percent growth each year, according to the company. It posted 100 billion won in sales in 2009. Riding a wave of rapid growth, its

With the ascension of a tech-savvy and mobile-first generation of consumers, or “Generation Z,” retailers and brands need to prepare ways to reach and appeal to them, a recent report showed. According to the report released by Hyundai Research Institute, Generation Z, referring to those born between 1996 and 2010 and the first consumers to have grown up in the digital era, will be the most pivotal generation to the future of retail, with their lifestyles centered around the smartphone.The report

Sales of cosmetics for teenagers continued to rise in 2017, with 29 percent growth on-year, data from a South Korean e-commerce firm showed Friday. According to SK Planet, which operates an e-commerce platform 11st, sales of color cosmetics such as lipsticks and manicures soared by 549 percent and 233 percent, respectively. Teenagers’ makeup kits and makeup tables were also popular, with sales growing by 101 percent and 182 percent, respectively.The sales of cosmetics targeting young customers h

With growing popularity of home meal replacements, or ready-to-eat meals that require little preparation, South Korean food processing companies are in a race to develop better and more efficient microwavable packaging.  NongshimIndustry insiders said packaging technology will emerge as an important factor in the competitiveness of products, while busy lifestyles and easy preparation are also boosting the microwavable food market.According to global market research firm Smithers Pira, the South

Gwanghwamun in central Seoul was ranked first among the country’s business districts in terms of yearly sales and sales volume per person. YonhapSK Telecom’s big data analysis service Geovision analyzed 20 major business districts across the country from November 2016 to October 2017. Geovision provides an analysis of business districts by tracking statistics of location, population, sales, category of business and consumer’s consumption tendency, combined with information on a map.SK Telecom sa