From virtual shops, promos to staff training, companies rush to have something virtual

Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay will open a Seoul branch of his famed burger restaurant at Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, southern Seoul, this December. The Seoul location will be the first Gordon Ramsay Burger in Asia, and the third branch to open globally. Ramsay rose to stardom as the iconic host of “Hell’s Kitchen,” an American cooking competition show that has aired since 2005. The British chef owns several restaurants under his name which, all together, have earned

The secondhand smartphone market is enjoying a bump from recent releases of flagship models from Samsung and Apple. According to Bungaejangter on Friday, a South Korean mobile secondhand marketplace, the volume of transactions for used smartphones has reached some 100 billion won as consumers switched to new phones. Used phone transactions have become the most traded category on the platform during the first half of this year so far. The company said the “secondhand market has been energ

Lotte Department Store is offering its first-ever voluntary retirement since first opening 42 years ago. The operator of the department store chain, Lotte Shopping, said Friday it told employees that it will be “accepting voluntary retirement applications for the next two weeks” in an internal announcement Thursday. The restructuring program is particularly for staff members who have worked for the firm for more than 20 years. Around 2,000 employees meet this qualification, the

NBA superstar LeBron James will be playing in a Bibigo-branded jersey for the upcoming season, as CJ’s frozen dumpling and sauce brand signed a partnership deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. The basketball team announced on its social media Tuesday, local time, that it signed a marketing partnership with Bibigo’s US branch.  Attached with the announcement was a photo of LeBron James wearing a Bibigo-embroidered uniform. ”We’re proud to introduce our new patch part

Beauty products often come in extravagant packaging -- only to later end up in a landfill after a single use. Statistics show only 10 percent of cosmetics packaging is recyclable, due to the complex designs, colors and multilayer structures. Faced with growing criticism for its contribution to the global waste problem and in a bid to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers, cosmetics companies are turning to refilling stations where consumers can bring empty bottles and buy what they

Gmarket said on Thursday its global shop sales during this year’s Chuseok promotion, which ended on Tuesday, increased compared to last year’s thanks to a wider selection of items on sale and more discount coupons. Gmarket’s global shop, which sells to about 80 countries through its English and Chinese websites, said its sales of household items jumped 110 percent from the previous Mega G-Festival, and sales of books and records climbed more than 30 percent. Sales of beauty p

New project to strengthen position as property developer

Pernod Ricard Korea said Tuesday that Frantz Hotton has been inaugurated as the new CEO of the Korean subsidiary of global wine and spirits company Pernod Ricard Group. Hotton, who is the current CEO of Pernod Ricard Hong Kong & Macao, was appointed to lead the South Korean unit in July. He joined the company as a marketing manager in 1995 and rose to be a professional C-level executive within the group, having served in various marketing and sales-related roles. Under his leadership, the

South Korean chicken burger chain Mom’s Touch said Tuesday it plans to open 100 stores in the United Sates in the next four years. Though the fast food chain opened a test store in the US in 2017, it struck a master franchise agreement with a local business partner and opened its first location in California earlier this year. Following the success of the first store, the company plans to open a drive-thru store sometime this year in the Long Beach area. The first location in California

Lotte Confectionery said Friday that it will release a special BTS edition of its popular Xylitol chewing gum next month. The new edition will come in 10 packaging options -- seven representing each member of the septet and the other three featuring the group in its entirety. The gum has two flavors, Apple Mint and Purple Mix, which is a mixture of grapefruit and blueberries. With the volume of the package double the regular size, the company said the new special edition will make them more

SPC Group said on Thursday it has opened the first Eggslut store in Singapore in the busy Orchard Road shopping district. The move comes after the South Korean food company purchased the operating rights for the country for the LA-based breakfast chain restaurant focusing on egg dishes in 2020. Founded by Filipino-American chef Alvin Calian, the first store in Korea opened in June last year. Three stores are currently in operation in the country. Alongside its popular items such as egg sandw

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