Backed by its competitiveness in fashion and premium goods and synergy with group affiliates, Shinsegae Live Shopping held onto the No. 1 spot in sales among standalone T-commerce (data home shopping) operators last year. Analysts said its strategy to move beyond competition focused on general-purpose goods and build a differentiated portfolio proved effective. Shinsegae Group is stepping up its T-commerce business, including by appointing Moon Sung-uk, the head of Signite and husband of Chung Yoo-kyung, chair of Shinsegae Co., as CEO of Shinsegae Live Shopping in the regular executive reshuffle in the second half of last year.
T-commerce is a term that combines television and commerce and refers to data-driven e-commerce via TV. Customers purchase products while watching TV by using a dedicated remote control without a phone call. Unlike TV home shopping, T-commerce can air only recorded programming, not live broadcasts.
According to related industry sources on the 30th, Shinsegae Live Shopping posted 336.5 billion won in sales and 20.2 billion won in operating profit last year. Compared with a year earlier, sales rose 2.5% and operating profit increased 14.1%.
Formerly an E-MART affiliate, Shinsegae Live Shopping has generated synergy with Shinsegae Department Store since being brought under consolidation into Shinsegae Co. from the third quarter of 2022. It hired an executive with experience overseeing fashion at Shinsegae Department Store and strengthened cultivation of in-house brands by building a brand strategy task force (TF) reporting directly to the CEO. It also created a dedicated team for department store merchandise and, uniquely in the industry, onboarded Shinsegae Department Store onto its own platform to enhance product competitiveness.
Buoyed by these efforts, Shinsegae Live Shopping recorded 328.3 billion won in sales in 2024, surpassing incumbent leader SK Stoa (302.3 billion won) to rise to No. 1 among standalone T-commerce operators. It also outpaced SK Stoa (313.1 billion won) in last year's sales, holding its lead. There are currently 10 T-commerce operators in Korea. Five—Shinsegae Live Shopping, SK Stoa, KT Alpha Shopping, ShoppingNT, and W Shopping—run T-commerce only. CJ OnStyle, GS My Shop, Lotte Home Shopping, Hyundai Home Shopping, and NS Home Shopping operate both TV home shopping and T-commerce.
Shinsegae Live Shopping has moved away from competition centered on general-purpose daily goods and sundries and has strengthened its fashion category, which has relatively higher average order value and profitability. Last year, it expanded its premium fashion portfolio by foregrounding department store brands "Sisley" and "Pleet's Me."
It is also strengthening its in-house brands and licensing business. In Oct. last year, it launched the men's wear in-house brand "Shinsegae Men's Collection." It is also pushing a global licensing business to bring in overseas brands such as the French label "Guy Laroche."
Since early last year, Shinsegae Live Shopping has simultaneously introduced "Arriving today" and "Arriving Sunday" services, strengthening its delivery competitiveness. "Arriving today" delivers the same day if customers purchase products aired from midnight to 10 a.m., and it applies across the entire Seoul metropolitan area.
"Arriving Sunday" broadens the scope to enable next-day delivery for items ordered on Saturday. Alongside this, since Sept. last year, Shinsegae Live Shopping has expanded its "Arriving tomorrow" service—previously limited to items shipping from its own logistics centers—to also cover items shipped directly by partners.
Group-level support is also ramping up. Shinsegae Group, through a regular executive reshuffle in Sept. last year, promoted Signite head Moon Sung-uk to president and had Moon concurrently serve as CEO of Shinsegae Live Shopping. Industry watchers inside and outside the sector interpreted the move as reflecting Shinsegae Group's intent to nurture live shopping not merely as a sales channel but as a future growth pillar for the group.
There is also talk that Signite, led by Moon, could generate diverse business synergies with Shinsegae Live Shopping in the online space, given that it is tasked with discovering startups in beauty, fashion, and retail. Along with Moon's appointment, Shinsegae Group created a team dedicated to new businesses and named Cho Kyu-kwon, former head of Brand Export at Shinsegae International, as head of new growth at Shinsegae Live Shopping.