A robot picks up a cup containing coffee to serve at the world's first 24-hour unmanned coffee shop, called “Storant,” which opened in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon Metropolitan City, May 15. Here, robots receive orders, make coffee and deliver drinks to customers. / Yonhap
A staff member at Chanel boutique in Lotte Department Store in Myeong-dong, Seoul, blocks a photographer from taking a picture of the store, May 13. / Korea Times photo by Lee Han-hoBy Kim Jae-heunChanel Korea CEO Stephane BlanchardCustomers in South Korea are dissatisfied over French luxury brand Chanel's apparent repeated acts of feigned ignorance and mockery of local customers.Recently nearly 1,000 people flocked to Chanel boutiques across the country between May 11 and 13, triggering concerns of another cluster infection following a COVID-19 outbreak that took place in the international district of Itaewon the week before.Without a doubt, it was apparent that Chanel would increase the prices of its luxury items, following the markup in European countries. However, the luxury brand kept mum and never hinted when it would raise prices despite its awareness that over 200 people would gather every day and risk infection just for a chance to purchase its products. The Korea Times contacted Chanel Korea twice to seek comment on the matter but the fashion house's Korean branch only repe
By Kim Jae-heun, Baek Byung-yeulKorea Society of Fashion Business President Kan Ho-sup / Courtesy of Kan Ho-supThe ongoing contactless trend that is expanding rapidly in every aspect of daily life due to the coronavirus pandemic was actually adopted by the fashion industry much earlier. However, the choice to go contactless was not out of necessity then. It was rather a choice between the pleasure of shopping offline and the convenience of shopping online.“In the fashion industry, online shopping malls have already flourished since the days when the word contactless was unfamiliar to many people. Shopping on the internet gave people physical freedom as they didn't have to walk around the stores and try on different clothes,” said Kan Ho-sup, president of the Korea Society of Fashion Business, who is also a professor of Textile Art and Fashion Design at Hongik University. “But not all began to shop online as there were people who did not want to give up the pleasure of comparing fashion items in person with their own eyes. Thus, contactless consumption was more welco
People queue in front of a Louis Vuitton store that operates connected to a Lotte Department Store, Myeong-dong, Seoul, May 13. / Korea Times photo by Lee Han-hoBy Kim Jae-heunLouis Vuitton Korea CEO Thierry MartyLouis Vuitton has come under fire over apparent carelessness regarding its South Korean employees as the country fights COVID-19. Some also criticized the French luxury brand saying it is only interested in turning a profit and was taking advantage of timing related to the easing of social restrictions as customers seek opportunities to spend money.An employee working at the French luxury brand's boutique in Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, southern Seoul, has been confirmed as testing positive for COVID-19, according to Lotte Department Store, last week.The employee aged in his 30s visited nightclubs in Itaewon, the international district in downtown Seoul, on May 3 and 5 and allegedly worked at the store May 6 and 7. Customers who visited the boutique at Lotte World Tower may have come into contact with the confirmed patient yet none of them were notified by the company abo
Workers put up signs at Shinsegae's duty free shop in Incheon International Airport prior to its opening in this 2018 file photo. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunThe second half outlook for Shinsegae, one of the country's largest retailers, doesn't look good despite expectations that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic here will gradually diminishShinsegae generated an operating profit of 3.28 billion won in the first quarter of 2020, down 97 percent from a year ago on revenue that fell 21.1 percent to 1.19 trillion won. Sales from its department store business fell 11.7 percent to 331.1 billion won, as many of its outlets were forced to close temporarily after shoppers visiting them tested positive for COVID-19.While its online shopping mall, luxury goods and home appliances sectors mounted a “strong defense,” the poor performance in groceries, fashion and children's goods disappointed the market and investors. Shinsegae's duty free sector was struck the hardest with a 30 percent decline in sales in the first quarter producing a loss of 32.4 billion won ― revenue from airports an
People queue in front of Lotte Department Store in Myeong-dong, Seoul, Wednesday, to buy Chanel items before a price markup went into effect Thursday. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunThe Seoul Metropolitan Government is considering imposing an administrative order to suspend the business of Chanel boutiques in the capital, citing its actions could contribute to a possible COVID-19 infection cluster.“We are well aware of this issue and we have been monitoring the situation. We are reviewing whether to put out an administrative order,” Na Baeq-ju, general director of the civil health bureau at the local administration, said. Concern has arisen over another COVID-19 infection cluster after long queues formed in front of Chanel boutiques in department stores here between May 11 and 13. This followed news that the French fashion brand would raise prices for its goods here by up to 25 percent, following markups of 7 percent to 17 percent in Europe, Saturday. Chanel officially confirmed the price change for its luxury goods here, Thursday.Prices for products on Chanel's official Korean w
Popular Korean football star Son Heung-min appears in CJ Cheiljedang's home meal replacement product advertisement. / Courtesy of CJ CheiljedangBy Kim Jae-heunCJ Cheiljedang has emerged as one of the few companies to benefit from the COVID-19 pandemic as demand for home meal replacements soared in and outside the country. With people following government guidelines and staying home to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus, the country's leading food company was able to avoid the economic damage that struck most businesses here hard. The ready-made meal market has become lucrative in Korea as the number of people living alone has begun to grow and many married working couples are no longer cooking at homeEasy to cook meals such as baked fish that can be served after only one minute in the microwave have become a hit, with sales of the latter soaring 30 percent every month since its introduction last August. Sales of frozen dumplings and hot dogs increased from 349 billion won in 2015 to 662 billion won, last year. CJ Cheiljedang's business performance overseas is prominent too.
A notice board in front of Italian luxury brand Gucci reads the boutique is temporarily closed in Lotte Department Store in Myeong-dong, Seoul, after an employee was confirmed with COVID-19 on Saturday.By Kim Jae-heunA recent infection cluster linked to nightclubs and bars in Itaewon, Seoul, has caused a ripple effect with the laying off of a considerable number of employees at luxury boutiques in Lotte Department Store in Myeong-dong, Seoul, that is stirring controversy here.According to Lotte Department Store, a male employee working at the store of Italian luxury brand Gucci tested positive for COVID-19 last week. The department store franchise immediately shut down the store in the morning on the same day. Lotte also closed down the whole building for disinfection. However, in light of speculation about the infected worker's sexuality, a number of luxury brand stores are said to be preparing thorough staff reshuffles because they suspect some their employees to be homosexual. “We have never heard of any such story and we are not involved in staffing of luxury boutiques at o
An employee enters Woowa Brothers' headquarters in Songpa-gu, southeastern Seoul, in this 2019 file photo. / Korea Times file By Kim Jae-heunWoowa Brothers CEO Kim Beom-joonThe country's top food delivery player Baedal Minjok (Baemin), operated by Woowa Brothers, is going through its worst half-year since its establishment. It has only been 10 days since Woowa Brothers canceled its fixed-rate fee system, charging restaurant owners a 5.8 percent commission for advertising, which brought strong backlash.At the time of the announcement, Woowa Borthers then claimed the new system was aimed at guaranteeing a fair chance for all restaurant owners to advertise their shops. However, local restaurant owners opposed Woowa's system claiming it was nothing but a scheme to receive more commission fees discarding the previous flat sum system. This time, it is embroiled in a compensation issue in which 10 restaurant owners complained Woowa Brothers did not compensate them adequately and properly for estimated financial damage they suffered when Baemin's server logged them out from the program
Cho Young-jae, a Lotte Shopping official in charge of the e-commerce business, explains about newly launching combined shopping platform Lotte ON at Lotte Shopping building in Seoul, April 27. / Courtesy of Lotte ShoppingBy Kim Jae-heunDespite repeated refusals for market talks on Lotte Shopping's proposed acquisition of Ticket Monster (TMON), the country's first social commerce operator, the underwhelming launch of Lotte's e-commerce service has, ironically, brought that possibility back to the table, according to sources familiar with the issue last week.While Lotte Group wants to expand its footprint in the growing e-commerce business given the sector's huge growth potential, Lotte's recently launched online shopping platform apparently failed to impress, they said.As worries are becoming a reality that Lotte ON's launch would be less than perfect, senior fund managers and local private equity funds (PEFs) were expecting Lotte may consider acquiring a major stake in TMON. “From what I know, there have been talks inside Lotte Group of taking over TMON in various scenarios. Lo