The Brief

The UK Department for International Trade (formerly UKTI) commissioned us to produce a report on the South Korean e-commerce ecosystem with particular emphasis on e-exporting opportunities for British brands.
 

The Approach

We spoke with British brands that are active in global e-commerce to understand the information they wanted on Korea and to uncover the challenges that companies faced when expanding into a new market. We researched the Korean e-commerce environment by analysing key data from the last seven years.

We also met with and spoke to the major Korean e-commerce platforms, retailers, industry experts, market associations and regulators. In total, we held fifteen in-person interviews and 30+ phone interviews.

The Result

We determined that there is a strong interest in British products and brands in Korea, identifying five key product categories with high cross-border e-commerce potential. They were F&B, beauty, home decor, baby products and toys, and fashion. We presented a detailed report on how to get started and expand a business in Korea via e-commerce and what to be mindful of, including customer service quality, delivery speed, payment methods, and the e-commerce user experience.

The Brief

The UK Department for International Trade (formerly UKTI) asked us to organise and manage an event in COEX Seoul for 30 UK start-ups and SMEs. Sectors covered included IoT, AI, cybersecurity and data analytics, and delegates were looking to partner with Korean companies.
 

The Approach

We used our in-house sector experts to determine a suitable list of Korean companies to attend this event. We contacted high-level contacts at over 400 companies, including conglomerates like Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Hyosung and SK. After determining their levels and areas of interest, we invited the most relevant people and teams to the event. 

The Result

Despite a tight schedule, we managed to organise 185 one-on-one meetings over two days. The total number of meetings was much higher as some guests we invited stayed longer to speak to more of the UK attendees. Our staff stayed throughout the event to make sure that all parties made it to their meetings, provided translation and offered commercial advice. In the months that followed, several of the UK attendees developed relationships and secured deals with the Korean companies they met at the event .