Byeon Gwang-yun's Paradigm Shift, Creating the Smile Ecosystem

Paid Membership Smile Club Surpasses 2 Million Cumulative Members
Smile Card Approaching 1 Million Sign-ups, Smile Boxes Installed at Convenience Stores and More
Strengthened Contactless Delivery System, Logistics Centers Offered at Discounted Rates to Businesses

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] "Our goal is to create a strong link continuously connecting the 'Smile Series'?Smile Club, Smile Pay, Smile Card, Smile Delivery, and Smile Box."

Byung Kwang-yoon, CEO of eBay Korea (pictured), has repeatedly emphasized the Smile Series, and the number of subscribers to 'Smile Card,' one pillar of the series, is expected to easily surpass 1 million this year. Following the 'Smile Club,' which has exceeded 2 million cumulative members, Smile Card is also gaining traction, drawing significant attention to the Smile Series.

Smile Card Expected to Reach 1 Million by November's 'Big Smile Day'

According to eBay Korea on the 4th, as of August, the cumulative number of Smile Card issuances reached 910,000, an increase of about 10,000 compared to June. It is expected that the 1 million milestone will be easily achieved around the upcoming 'Big Smile Day' in November. This is because the number of card issuances has increased by more than 100,000 during the Big Smile Days held in May and November. This achievement, reached in just two and a half years since its launch in June 2018, is noteworthy.

An email sent by Jung Tae-young, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Card, who co-created the Smile Card, to CEO Byung Kwang-yoon also became a hot topic. Vice Chairman Jung said, "Smile Card has presented a new model for customer management and expansion," adding, "Other brands have started to follow the successful model of Smile Card." It is rare for CEOs of large corporations to exchange praise and collaborate unofficially outside formal settings. CEO Byung reportedly responded warmly to Vice Chairman Jung's email.

Byung Kwang-yoon: "Focus on Core Service Values"

After taking charge of management, CEO Byung emphasized that instead of self-destructive speed competition, e-commerce should focus on the core values of service. An eBay Korea official said, "CEO Byung's management core is prioritizing the basic principles that consumers want: 'convenience,' 'safety,' and 'reasonable prices,'" adding, "Rather than incurring excessive costs for ultra-fast delivery, the focus is on providing consumers with reasonable convenience and pricing."

The Smile Series was born from this concept. eBay Korea developed the Smile Series starting with Smile Pay in 2014. The current core is the paid membership Smile Club, whose members can seamlessly enjoy benefits across Gmarket, Auction, and G9 without boundaries between sites. This is supported by four key services: the simple payment system Smile Pay, the co-branded credit card Smile Card, the fulfillment platform service Smile Delivery, and the unmanned parcel locker service Smile Box. They operate nimbly under the shared goal of building an easy and simple user experience (UX).

Particularly, attention was paid to consumer protection blind spots such as security issues that could arise from the 'shared delivery driver system' in the distribution industry. Focusing on the fact that the main destination for order delivery is the 'home,' efforts have been concentrated on expanding Smile Box, which enables contactless delivery. Starting with GS25 convenience stores, Smile Box is now installed not only in supermarkets, banks, gas stations, and university dormitories but also hospitals, with about 1,200 locations currently in operation.

Increasing Role of Smile Delivery Logistics Center

The service of bundling products from multiple sellers for delivery, centered on the Dongtan Smile Delivery logistics center, is also noteworthy. It provides nearby logistics space at low cost to open market operators who face heavy logistics storage burdens, while allowing consumers to receive multiple products at once, benefiting both parties. Smile Pay is also strengthening its independent position by expanding collaborations beyond its own shopping malls Gmarket, Auction, and G9 to competitors such as CJ Mall, H Mall, AK Mall, Galleria Department Store, and various offline partners. Payments are also possible at Shinsegae Duty Free, Hyundai Department Store Duty Free, Donghwa Duty Free, CGV, Interpark, Aladin, Market Kurly, Yogiyo, GS25, Lalavla, Paris Baguette, and more.

The driving force behind continuous service improvement is transparent communication. The town hall meetings devised by CEO Byung serve as a representative channel for candidly hearing the voices of young employees. Since non-face-to-face (untact) meeting culture through video conferencing has become widespread, eBay Korea explained that there were no issues freely exchanging opinions even during the COVID-19 situation this year. In fact, eBay Korea has experience holding video conferences with all employees. As of the end of 2018, eBay Korea had about 970 employees. Unique events such as 'online company dinners' enjoyed from home were also held to overcome COVID-19.

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