Declaring "Overwhelming On-Off Competitiveness," Tested on the Stage of 'Shinsegae Universe'

On-Off Integrated Membership Shinsegae Universe Club
Innovative Platform Hub Gmarket, Perceived Subscription Fee '0'
On-Off 5% Off "Membership Earning 2 Million Won Annually" Emphasized
Partnerships with KT, Korean Air, and More, Expanding Ecosystem

"I can say with confidence that you will get back more than 10 times the membership fee you paid. You will experience the 'New World of Membership' with the most powerful benefits among all memberships in South Korea."

Kang Hee-seok, Co-CEO of E-Mart and SSG.com, revealed the essence of Shinsegae Group's integrated online and offline paid membership, the 'Shinsegae Universe Club.' At the 'Shinsegae Universe Festival' held on the 8th at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Kang said, "Shinsegae Group has built a multi-platform that crosses online and offline and satisfies segmented shopping demands," emphasizing, "The ecosystem combining the unique offline stores represented by E-Mart and Shinsegae Department Store with the product competitiveness of online innovative companies such as SSG.com and Gmarket, along with data and logistics infrastructure, forms the Shinsegae Universe based on a multi-platform."

Gmarket aims to become a 'hyper-personalized mega platform' through innovation based on data and AI to expand the Shinsegae Universe. Gmarket also plays a leading role in strengthening partnerships. SSG.com is specialized as a premium area providing differentiated shopping experiences to customers. The product competitiveness accumulated by E-Mart and Shinsegae Department Store is also used as the foundation for differentiated experiences.

Kang Hee-seok, co-CEO of Emart and SSG.com, is explaining the Shinsegae Group's integrated online and offline membership, 'Shinsegae Universe Club,' at the 'Shinsegae Universe Festival' held on the 8th at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Kim Yuri].

Membership Fee 30,000 KRW, Immediate Benefits 30,000 KRW + Additional 5% Discount Online and Offline

The Shinsegae Universe Club boasts 'cash-equivalent benefits equal to the membership fee upon joining' and '5% discounts both online and offline.' According to Shinsegae Group, if members take advantage of discounts and free food and beverages offered by six affiliated companies, they can enjoy benefits worth over 2 million KRW annually.

The membership fee is 30,000 KRW per year. Regardless of which of the six participating affiliates you join through, you will receive benefits worth 30,000 KRW. Membership subscribers receive 30,000 KRW in cash from SSG.com, Gmarket, E-Mart, Shinsegae Department Store, and Shinsegae Duty Free. If you join through Starbucks, you receive five manufactured beverage coupons.

Regardless of the channel through which you join, the '5% discount' benefit can be enjoyed at E-Mart, Shinsegae Department Store, SSG.com, and Gmarket. All members receive three 5% discount coupons per month (with a discount limit of 20,000 KRW per coupon) usable on SSG.com. At E-Mart, members receive four 5% discount coupons (with a discount limit of 3,000 KRW per coupon) applicable to all product purchases.

At Shinsegae Department Store, a 5% discount applies to fashion and accessory purchases (annual discount limit of 250,000 KRW, discount applicable on purchases up to 5 million KRW). Gmarket provides three 5% discount coupons plus four additional discount coupons (one 12%, one 10%, and two 1,000 KRW coupons). Auction offers the same discount coupons, which can be used on both Gmarket and Auction. At Starbucks, members receive one extra star for every manufactured beverage purchased (up to five times per month). Shinsegae Duty Free offers a 10,000 KRW discount usable at downtown duty-free shops, airport duty-free shops, and online duty-free shops. The Gold grade benefit, which offers up to 15% discount, is also applied to all Shinsegae Universe Club members.

Lee In-young, Co-CEO of SSG.com, said, "With just the Shinsegae Universe Club, you can enjoy benefits in many areas connected to daily life, and the scope of benefits will gradually expand, making it an incomparable top membership."

Lee In-young, co-CEO of SSG.com, is explaining the future business direction of SSG.com at the 'Shinsegae Universe Festival' held on the 8th at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Kim Yuri].

Telecommunications· Aviation· Finance, etc.… Expansion Beyond the Universe Ecosystem

In addition to the six affiliates participating in the integrated membership, E-Mart24, Shinsegae Food, and Starfield within Shinsegae Group are preparing to join the membership. The membership is also planned to expand externally. Shinsegae Group is pursuing membership collaborations with companies in various fields such as telecommunications including KT, aviation including Korean Air, finance, gaming, and delivery platforms. Shinsegae Group expects significant ripple effects from membership collaborations in telecommunications, as it is a service used by the majority of the population. There are also high expectations for collaboration in aviation, as many people are interested in mileage benefits.

Shinsegae Group is integrating the capabilities of its affiliates to develop various business-exclusive products, provide regular delivery and installation services, and expand its business-to-business (B2B) operations. Gmarket aims to advance beyond its dominant position in the B2B sector targeting small and medium-sized enterprises to enter the gift and promotional product market and the 50 trillion KRW food service ingredient market. Shinsegae Group aims to grow its current approximately 2 trillion KRW B2B sales to 5 trillion KRW in the long term. The group has also set a goal to increase the total transaction volume by more than 50% within five years compared to the current level.

According to Shinsegae Group, about 10 million people experience the Shinsegae Universe daily in South Korea. The average daily customers visiting E-Mart stores number about 1.5 million. Daily sales at E-Mart include 9.4 million sushi pieces and 18,000 bags of rice (each bag weighing 10 kg). Shinsegae Department Store sees 600,000 visitors daily. Starbucks serves over 1 million customers daily. The combined daily visitors to Gmarket (including Auction) and SSG.com reach about 6 million. On weekends, about 100,000 people spend time at just the Starfield Hanam location. There are approximately 10,000 Shinsegae Group affiliate stores nationwide.

Kang emphasized, "Countless customers who eat and live daily within the Shinsegae Universe will enjoy even more differentiated benefits through the integrated membership," adding, "The Shinsegae Universe will grow bigger and become more sophisticated through the membership."

Jeon Hang-il, CEO of Gmarket, is explaining Gmarket's business model at the 'Shinsegae Universe Festival' held on the 8th at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yuri Kim].

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