20 Years of Partnership, 97% Renewal Rate... The Secret to Unitoa's Growth

97% Contract Renewal Rate and 20 Years of Partnership... The Secret to Growth
A Dedicated Live Commerce Studio for Clients and Viewers
Discovering SMEs, Strengthening Short-Form Content, and Seven-Day Delivery

"If you are not in the top 1%, you cannot survive."

This is according to Kwangyong Kim, CEO of Unitoa, a company specializing in e-commerce distribution. The reason why Unitoa quickly established a Live Commerce Team and focused on customized marketing was to survive in the e-commerce market, which already has low entry barriers and is saturated. During an interview at Unitoa's headquarters in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on August 28, Kwangyong Kim explained Unitoa's growth process and future goals, emphasizing, "You need to find the reason for a consumer's purchase from the consumer's perspective," and added, "Sales depend on how you set up collaboration and promotion strategies."

97% Renewal Rate and 20 Years of Partnership... The Secret to Growth

Unitoa is an abbreviation of "You need store." Starting with diaper sales in 2004, the company has grown over the past 20 years into the official online vendor and operator for leading domestic and international brands such as Yuhan-Kimberly, Zinus, and Haagen-Dazs Korea. Since its founding, the company has maintained a 97% renewal rate with major partners and has had continuous business with Yuhan-Kimberly for 20 consecutive years. Unitoa has also steadily expanded its business areas. Last year, it broadened its offline presence by introducing the mattress brand Zinus to seven Lotte Department Store locations and four Shinsegae Department Store locations.

As the Live Commerce Team conducts real-time sales through Naver Shopping Live at Unitoa Studio, viewers' comments are coming in. MainBiz Association

Unitoa has reorganized its structure in line with changing trends. In 2021, as brand clients began seeking direct communication with consumers, Unitoa established its own Live Commerce Team. This created a system to support sales activities where brands could engage directly with customers under their own names. In 2022, Unitoa formed an in-house RPA (Robotic Process Automation) development team to automate simple and repetitive tasks, improving work efficiency by 86%. The company also built a database (DB) infrastructure to integrate and manage sales, customer, and market data, enabling real-time analysis and faster decision-making. Additionally, Unitoa introduced remote work and flexible working hours to improve the working environment for employees.

Based on these management innovations, Unitoa continues to grow. Combined sales, including its subsidiary SYP Global, increased from 56.3 billion KRW in 2019 to 143.8 billion KRW last year, and are expected to surpass 150 billion KRW this year. In particular, the value of brand operation agency transactions is projected to reach 104 billion KRW this year. CEO Kwangyong Kim stated, "Going forward, we will continue to provide services that exceed customer and market expectations based on AI, automation, and differentiated distribution capabilities, while fostering a healthy corporate culture."

A Studio Dedicated to Live Commerce That Attracts Both Clients and Viewers

The 330-square-meter live commerce studio is Unitoa's core competitive edge. Opened last year, it is equipped with premium broadcasting equipment in four themed studios, allowing for production tailored to each brand and product's characteristics. The Live Commerce Team consists of five members, including a producer and camera director with over 20 years of experience and a visual merchandising director in their 30s. They broadcast an average of 30 products per month, generating sales of around 200 million KRW per hour. Jiweon Kim, Head of Sales & Marketing, said, "Most studios are used for both TV home shopping and live commerce, but it is rare to find a facility of this scale dedicated solely to live commerce."

Kwangyong Kim, CEO of Unitoa, is checking the live broadcast status with the client company's brand manager in the client room. Photo by Hokyung Choi

The 'Client Room' next to the studio is a space exclusively for client companies. It was created for clients and Unitoa staff to exchange feedback on the live broadcast in real time. CEO Kim explained, "This is where we discuss broadcast concepts, highlight product features, and review consumer responses."

Since sales are conducted in real time, customer service (CS) is also a critical task. The CS system operates in three stages. First, inquiries during live broadcasts are handled immediately by a dedicated staff member. Post-broadcast inquiries such as exchanges, returns, and deliveries are managed by a specialized customer support team in collaboration with the Live Commerce Team and the logistics team. Customer inquiry data is regularly analyzed and reflected in broadcast planning and marketing strategies. CEO Kim commented, "If a complaint is raised via comments during a live broadcast, the atmosphere can turn cold instantly," adding, "In such cases, we try to address the customer by their nickname to create a friendly atmosphere and offer an immediate solution."

Discovering SMEs, Strengthening Short-Form Content, and Seven-Day Delivery

Unitoa is accelerating its efforts to discover future growth engines. Building on its experience collaborating with major domestic and international corporations, the company plans to identify and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and help them export their products, realizing a partnership for shared growth. CEO Kim said, "We are considering customized package programs for SMEs that lack online sales and marketing capabilities." He also expressed confidence in targeting overseas markets. With experience on global platforms such as Amazon, Qoo10 Japan, and Shopee, Unitoa plans to implement differentiated strategies tailored to each product category in the United States, China, and Southeast Asia, supporting SMEs to establish a stable presence.

Kwangyong Kim, CEO of Unittoa, is speaking at a press conference held at the Unittoa headquarters in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 28th of last month. Mainbiz Association

In terms of content strategy, Unitoa plans to expand the Live Commerce Team and strengthen short-form content production on platforms like YouTube to broaden consumer engagement. The company will recruit planners with relevant expertise and expand influencer marketing. Although currently in the pilot stage, Unitoa intends to scale this up in a more systematic way. Additionally, the company is preparing to offer seven-day delivery services to enhance customer convenience. CEO Kim said, "As competitors like Coupang and Kurly are strengthening early morning delivery, we are preparing to secure competitiveness," adding, "We expect to provide this service at 20-30% lower prices compared to competitors."

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