eBay Korea, Brand Apparel Sales Surge 5 Times in 5 Years

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] eBay Korea's sales have been growing significantly every year through partnerships with fashion brand manufacturers.

eBay Korea announced on the 27th that the brand fashion transaction amount on its online shopping sites Gmarket and Auction increased by 17% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year.

Compared to the same period in 2014, it surged more than fivefold (465%). Brand products account for more than half of the total fashion transaction amount.

In 2015, brand products accounted for only 11% of the fashion category on Gmarket and Auction, but steadily grew to 32% in 2016, 40% in 2017, and 47% in 2018. In 2019, it surpassed the majority for the first time, recording 51%, and the upward trend continued in the first quarter of 2020, reaching a 54% share.

The growth of brand fashion was largely due to the role of ‘Premium Brand Partners,’ manufacturers directly entering Gmarket and Auction. During the first quarter of 2020, a total of 39 companies newly joined as ‘Premium Brand Partners,’ bringing the total number of officially registered domestic and international fashion brands to 135.

Especially this year, synergy was enhanced by regularly conducting joint marketing with ‘Premium Brand Partner’ companies. Large-scale events such as ‘Fashion Style Week’ are held monthly with up to 80 fashion brands, selling popular seasonal products at special prices.

In the case of Giordano, as of the first quarter of 2020, transaction amounts on Gmarket and Auction increased nearly fourfold (280%) compared to the same period last year. During the same period, SOUP’s transaction amount increased more than threefold (231%), Mind Bridge by 184%, and Esquire by 184% respectively.

Cases where brand companies exclusively sell new products on Gmarket and Auction are also increasing. Giordano’s new product ‘Essential Line,’ showcased in the ‘New Product Showcase’ last March, sold 7,000 units within a week, and the transaction amount in Giordano’s brand store during the event period surged 28 times (2700%) compared to previous years.

Lee Joo-cheol, head of eBay Korea’s SM division, said, “eBay Korea, which led the remarkable growth of soho fashion clothing centered around Dongdaemun, also known as ‘trend fashion,’ is now leading the online sales channel for brand fashion. We will continue to work hard to enhance product competitiveness through collaboration with various brand companies and establish ourselves as a successful sales channel for brand companies.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.