'Dongdaemun Fashion' Takes Over Singapore Department Stores

Wholesale Clothing Brokerage Platform Linkshops Opens 'Collect' in Downtown Department Store
Showcasing Products from Over 60 Dongdaemun Companies... Proven as a 'Testbed' for K-Fashion

A store based on Dongdaemun wholesale clothing at Singapore BHG Department Store

BHG Department Store, located in the heart of Singapore, recently opened a store called ‘Kollect’ on its second floor, selling over 1,000 pieces of clothing and fashion accessories. However, the products filling the 31.4㎡ store feel somewhat familiar. Seeing the description ‘Design in Korea’ alongside the store name quickly brings to mind a certain place: Dongdaemun, the mecca of Korean fashion. This store was opened in a major Singaporean department store based on Dongdaemun wholesale clothing. The store was established by Linkshops, a domestic startup operating a wholesale clothing brokerage platform. Linkshops plans to update products weekly and continuously introduce various Dongdaemun companies locally. We heard the story of how the Dongdaemun fashion store was directly transplanted to Singapore.

On the 16th, Oh Youngji, co-CEO of Linkshops, said, "The difficulty in accessing the Korean market due to COVID-19 actually became an opportunity," adding, "The concept of experiencing the Korean fashion market, Dongdaemun, in Singapore, where people cannot come directly, appealed to customers."

◆ Singapore, a ‘Test Bed’ for K-Fashion = Linkshops is a platform with about 13,000 Dongdaemun companies registered, recording over 100,000 orders monthly. Notably, about 30% of total sales come from overseas markets such as China, Hong Kong, and Singapore. This is also why Linkshops opened a store in Singapore and actively started promoting ‘K-Fashion’ in the global market.

CEO Oh explained, "The Dongdaemun wholesale clothing market has a diverse range of buyers, not only from Chinese-speaking Greater China countries but also from Southeast Asian island nations," adding, "Since Singapore is a country with a mix of various cultures and ethnicities, we expected a high acceptance of fashion from other countries, making it suitable as a test bed for K-Fashion." Singapore’s role as a hub country, enabling smooth sales and logistics to surrounding countries, was also a key reason for choosing it as the first entry point.

The local popularity of Korean dramas such as ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’ greatly helped. CEO Oh said, "From the initial discussions, we could feel the high interest in K-Culture within the Singapore market, and K-Fashion already had a basic perception as ‘high-quality trendy clothing,’ so there were no major difficulties in proceeding."

A store based on Dongdaemun wholesale clothing at Singapore BHG Department Store

◆ Showcasing Products from Over 60 Dongdaemun Clothing Companies = Linkshops showcased about 1,150 products from a total of 66 Dongdaemun wholesale clothing companies through the Singapore ‘Kollect’ store. These companies have extensive domestic sales experience but limited overseas export experience, so it took time to meet the requirements for selling to overseas consumers, resulting in some trial and error. However, through this process, they also gained competitiveness by being able to continuously sell spring and summer season products in hot regions without holding excess inventory. CEO Oh said, "Diversity in sizes, detailed product information, photos, and other preparations for overseas sales are necessary," adding, "Linkshops’ role as a platform coordinating these aspects will grow even more."

The department store explained that ‘Kollect,’ which gathers Dongdaemun clothing, is well received by Singaporean consumers. Linkshops expects sales and other results to improve rapidly in the future. Based on this, the company plans to expand its business, promote Dongdaemun’s commercial district overseas, and raise awareness of K-Fashion. CEO Oh emphasized, "Based on this model, we are currently in close discussions with local brands and distributors in the U.S., Japan, China, and other countries to expand the business," adding, "It will also be possible to expand to Namdaemun’s jewelry and children’s clothing, which have global competitiveness."

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