KOTRA Supports SME Exports to Southeast Asia... Promotion with Singapore's No.1 E-commerce 'Shopee'

"Active Promotion of Busan Expo Bid"

KOTRA will hold the 'Singapore O2O Korean Excellent Products Exhibition' for five days starting from the 12th in Singapore as part of the government's 'Export Competitiveness Enhancement Strategy' supporting the 'Export Plus' project. A local consumer purchasing Korean products at the O2O Korean Excellent Products Exhibition. (Photo by KOTRA)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] KOTRA announced on the 12th that it will hold a promotional event supporting sales for leading consumer goods companies, including Singapore's No.1 e-commerce company 'Shopee,' to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in entering the Southeast Asian market.

KOTRA stated that from today until the 16th, a five-day event called the 'O2O (Online-to-Offline) Korean Excellent Products Exhibition' will be held in Singapore. KOTRA is actively carrying out the 'Export Plus' support project, which backs the government's announced 'Export Competitiveness Enhancement Strategy,' and this event is part of that effort.

The event consists of ▲simultaneous O2O promotional sales through local major distribution channels ▲on-site promotions of five promising categories including beauty, fashion, daily necessities, food, and health functional foods ▲online export consultation meetings ▲and Hallyu marketing performances.

First, together with Shopee, an online and offline simultaneous Korean promotional week will be operated. Through Shopee's website, products from 87 Korean companies in food, beauty, accessories, and other sectors will be sold online. Offline, products from about 20 promising SMEs based in Busan will be exhibited in the form of a pop-up store. Purchase request links and QR codes are placed on offline exhibition samples to enable Singaporean consumers to purchase via direct delivery.

The event is held by renting space in a large shopping mall in the northeastern Singapore area of Punggol, where booths and stages are set up for various cultural performances while promising Korean consumer goods companies sell on-site. Products from 77 Korean companies that have signed contracts with local major vendors through video consultations conducted since the end of July are displayed. This format directly connects on-site purchases by local consumers to exports by domestic companies.

The event is promoted in conjunction with 'Korea Weeks,' organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Singapore, combining economy and culture. Marketing support for participating companies is provided through Hallyu events. Visitors' interest will be attracted by Hallyu cultural events such as ▲K-POP dance performances ▲Taekwondo demonstrations ▲traditional Korean dance performances. Considering the local interest in Korean culture such as K-pop, the winner of the local 'K-pop World Festival' will perform a cover dance, and traditional Korean music performances using local instruments will also be held.

In collaboration with Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Economic Promotion Agency, the event gains significance by simultaneously supporting the promotion of the '2030 Busan World Expo' bid and the entry of Busan-based consumer goods SMEs into Southeast Asia. Video consultations with 100 Busan-based companies are conducted, and 20 companies are selected to support local sales through online and offline pop-up stores. At the opening ceremony held this afternoon, KOTRA actively promoted the 2030 Busan Expo bid to key local figures such as the Singapore Enterprise Agency and Shopee, explaining the significance of hosting the 2030 Busan Expo and the capabilities of the global city Busan.

Lee Jongseop, Head of KOTRA Southeast Asia Regional Headquarters, said, "The event is a large-scale promotional event held in Singapore, which is leading the market post-COVID-19 with proactive COVID-19 response policies." He added, "Singapore, which leads Southeast Asian consumer trends, is attracting attention as a gateway to Southeast Asia, and this export-direct event will serve as an opportunity to promote the entry of Korean consumer goods companies into Southeast Asia."

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