Gmarket Targets 탈쿠팡족 with "One Month Free Shipping for New Membership Sign-ups"

Up to 60,000 KRW Shipping Fee Support for New Members Until September
10% Cashback on Food & Mart Payments for Existing Members Until August

Gmarket and Auction, e-commerce platforms under Shinsegae Group, announced on the 22nd that they will enhance the 'Shinsegae Universe Club' membership benefits for August and September. During this period, new subscribers will receive a free shipping event that refunds shipping fees, while existing membership holders will be offered a 10% cashback benefit on food and mart purchases.

The Shinsegae Universe Club is an integrated membership that provides benefits from six Shinsegae Group companies with a single subscription. By paying an annual fee and subscribing through Gmarket, E-Mart, SSG.com, Shinsegae Department Store, Starbucks, or Shinsegae Duty Free, members receive cash rewards usable on the subscribed channel along with discounts.

Shinsegae Group-affiliated e-commerce platforms Gmarket and Auction announced on the 22nd that they will enhance the 'Shinsegae Universe Club' membership benefits for August and September.
[Photo by Gmarket]

First, customers who newly join the Shinsegae Universe Club on Gmarket and Auction by September will be refunded up to 60,000 KRW in shipping fees paid until September. This benefit applies to all products except international shipping and food delivery, with up to 30,000 KRW refundable on each of Gmarket and Auction. Considering that the usual shipping fee is around 3,000 KRW, this means Gmarket and Auction support shipping fees for a total of 20 deliveries. The shipping fee cashback will be provided as Smile Cash, which can be used like cash on Gmarket and Auction, and will be distributed in a lump sum on October 31.

Additional benefits are also offered for existing membership holders. Until August, purchasing products in the food and mart categories will return 10% of the payment amount as cash. Cashback can be received up to 10,000 KRW each on Gmarket and Auction, and is provided to members who click the 'Apply for 10% Cashback' button on the event page and register for the event.

Specifically, the food and mart categories include six product groups: ▲fresh food ▲processed food ▲health food ▲coffee and beverages ▲daily necessities ▲body and hair care. Cashback benefits are available when paying for these products via the simple payment method 'Smile Pay.' Cashback provided as Smile Cash will be distributed in a lump sum on September 30.

In addition, benefits such as reduced annual fees and discount coupons are also provided. New subscribers can use the membership at a reduced annual fee of 4,900 KRW, which is more than an 80% reduction from the previous 30,000 KRW. Furthermore, a one-year free extension benefit is also offered.

With the expansion and reorganization of Gmarket's membership benefits, the perks available to members have also increased. On both Gmarket and Auction sites, membership holders receive a total of four discount coupons every month: one 15% discount coupon (up to 5,000 KRW) and three 10% discount coupons (up to 3,000 KRW each). Additionally, members receive ▲5% coupons (3 basic + unlimited issuance, up to 10,000 KRW) ▲free shipping with Smile Delivery ▲food delivery coupons ▲airfare discount coupons, among others.

Shinsegae Group-affiliated e-commerce platforms Gmarket and Auction announced on the 22nd that they will enhance the 'Shinsegae Universe Club' membership benefits for August and September. Limited-time key benefits of Shinsegae Universe Club. [Image provided by Gmarket]

This enhancement of Gmarket's membership benefits is interpreted as a move to capture the so-called '탈쿠팡족' (those leaving Coupang) who are considering leaving due to Coupang Wow Membership's monthly fee increase. Coupang raised the monthly fee for existing Wow Membership holders from 4,990 KRW to 7,890 KRW, a 58.1% increase, starting this month. New subscribers have been subject to the increased monthly fee of 7,890 KRW since April 13.

A Gmarket representative said, "In a situation where e-commerce membership fees are rising, we are not only lowering the membership annual fee but also running an event that returns cash-like rewards with strong benefits," adding, "We will continue to expand tangible benefits that customers can feel and develop into a more competitive membership."

Meanwhile, the number of new Shinsegae Universe Club membership subscribers on Gmarket is also on the rise. According to Gmarket, new subscriptions to the Shinsegae Universe Club from July 21 to August 19 increased nearly threefold (172%) compared to the same period last year.

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