South Korea B2C E-Commerce Market 2019

South Korea B2C E-Commerce Market 2019

yStats.com’s new report: South Korea’s B2C E-Commerce market projected to become the third largest in the world

South Korea’s advanced online retail market
As of 2019, South Korea ranks third worldwide by online retail sales. The B2C E-Commerce market is well advanced, taking up nearly a quarter of the country’s overall retail sales. Nevertheless, there is still room for more growth. The yStats.com report contains a projection that by around 2023, South Korea could ascend two ranks to become the world’s number three in online retail sales, surpassing Japan and the UK.

Coupang leads in South Korean E-Commerce
The future growth is expected to be driven by mobile commerce and payment services, as well as cross-border online shopping. Well over 50% of online retail sales in South Korea is generated on mobile devices, with this share is becoming larger every year, according to statistics cited by yStats.com. In terms of E-Commerce competition, the top market share is held by Coupang, followed by other market leaders including eBay Korea, 11st, and others.


1. Management Summary
2. Overview & International Comparisons
B2C E-Commerce Market Overview and International Comparisons, September 2019
Top 10 Countries by Retail E-Commerce Sales, in USD billion, by Canada, China, India, Germany, France, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the UK, the USA, 2018 & 2019f
Top 10 Countries by Retail E-Commerce Sales Growth, in %, by Argentina, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, South Korea and Worldwide, 2019f vs. 2018
B2C E-Commerce Share of Total Retail Sales, in %, by China, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the USA, in %, 2018
M-Commerce Share of Total Retail E-Commerce Sales, in %, by China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand, the UK and the USA, 2018
3. Trends
Breakdown of Internet Traffic by Device, in %, August 2019
Research and Purchase Channels Used, in % of Online Shoppers, 6 Months to April 2019
Breakdown of Spending by Channels as Perceived by Online Shoppers, in %, 6 Months to April 2019
M-Commerce Sales, in KRW trillion, and Share of E-Commerce Sales, in %, 2017-2018 & H1 2019
M-Commerce Sales by Product Category, in KRW billion, 2017, 2018 & H1 2019
Cross-Border Online Shopper Penetration, in % of Online Shoppers, May 2018
Top 3 Product Categories Purchased Cross-Border, in % of Cross-Border Online Shoppers, May 2018
Top 3 Countries Purchased From in Latest Cross-Border Online Purchase, in % of Cross-Border Online Shoppers, 2018
Share of Online Shoppers Who Purchased a Product on Instagram, in %, April 2019
4. Sales & Shares
Retail E-Commerce Sales, in KRW trillion, and Year-on-Year Change, in %, 2017-2018 & H1 2019
Breakdown of Retail E-Commerce Sales by Online Pure-Play and Multichannel Platforms, in %, 2017-2018 & H1 2019
B2C E-Commerce Sales, in USD billion, and Share of Total Retail Sales, in %, 2018-2023f
5. Internet Users & Online Shoppers
Number of Internet Users, in millions, and Penetration, in % of Individuals, 2013 – 2018
Online Shopper Penetration, by Device, in % of Internet Users, 2017 & 2018
Average Monthly Online Spending, in KRW, 2017 & 2018
Breakdown of Frequency of Online Shopping, in % of Online Shoppers, 2018
6. Products
Top 10 Product Categories Purchased Online, in % of Online Shoppers, 2017 & 2018
Retail E-Commerce Sales by Product Category, in KRW billion, 2017, 2018 & H1 2019
7. Payment
Payment Methods Used in Online Shopping, in % of Online Shoppers, 2017 & 2018
Payment Methods Used in Online Shopping, in % of Online Shoppers, by PC and Mobile, 2018
8. Delivery
Share of Online Shoppers Who Would be Willing to Change Their Main Online Store if Another Store Offered Express Shipping Options, in %, April 2019
The Score of Customer Satisfaction with “Speed and Accuracy of Delivery, by Six Selected E-Commerce Platforms, May 2019
9. Players
Overview of B2C E-Commerce Players, September 2019
Revenues and Operating Profits/Losses of Selected Leading E-Commerce Players, in KRW billion, and Year-on-Year Change, in %, 2018
Average Monthly Online Spending, by Six Selected E-Commerce Platforms and Total Average, in % of Online Shoppers, May 2019
Customer Satisfaction Score of Six Selected E-Commerce Platforms, May 2019
Top 10 E-Commerce Websites by Unique Visitors, in millions, and Reach, in %, August 2019
Top 10 E-Commerce Mobile Applications by Unique Users, in millions, and Reach, in %, August 2019
Top Mobile Shopping Apps by Number of Monthly Active Users, in millions, October 2018

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