Gmarket, now a subsidiary of the joint venture (JV) between Shinsegae Group and Alibaba Group, has unveiled an ambitious plan to inject 700 billion won (approximately $492 million) into its operations next year to revitalize its position in the competitive South Korean e-commerce market, currently dominated by Coupang and Naver. The company aims to more than double its annual Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) within five years, leveraging its new partnership to expand globally and enhance domestic competitiveness through technological innovation.

Dual Strategy: Global Expansion and Seller Support 

Gmarket's strategy rests on two primary pillars: global expansion and significant seller support. Of the initial 700 billion won investment for next year, a substantial 500 billion won is earmarked for boosting seller competitiveness. This includes 350 billion won for direct support like promotions and sales growth, eliminating separate fees on discount coupons, and introducing a 'zero-commission' policy for new sellers for a set period. An additional 100 billion won annually will be dedicated to customer promotions, including significantly scaling up the 'Big Smile Day' event.

A key differentiator from its domestic rivals is the focus on cross-border sales (reverse direct purchase). Gmarket will utilize Alibaba's global network, starting with integration into Alibaba’s Southeast Asian platform, Lazada, to help Korean sellers access 160 million consumers across five countries. The plan is to progressively expand to South Asia, Southern Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East by 2027, connecting with other Alibaba affiliates like AliExpress, Daraz, and Miravia. Gmarket will handle all logistics, customs, and customer service, aiming to achieve an annual cross-border transaction volume of 1 trillion won within five years.

AI Integration and Consumer Data Security 

The remaining 100 billion won of the investment will be channeled into Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology development, utilizing Alibaba's extensive expertise. The goal is to establish a 'hyper-personalized platform' that moves beyond basic recommendations to analyze subtle preferences and customer behavioral patterns using deep learning. The company intends to internalize Alibaba's advanced AI capabilities over three years.

Amid concerns from some consumers regarding potential data leakage to the Chinese partner following the JV formation, Gmarket has provided reassurance. The company stated that Gmarket remains solely responsible for managing customer personal information. Furthermore, data required for AI training is stored in an independent cloud restricted to domestic servers, with no personally identifiable information transmitted to China.

This aggressive blueprint, which also includes a quick delivery service collaboration with Emart and participation of domestic sellers in Alibaba's 'Singles' Day' (Guanggunjie) event, signals a fierce competition ahead for Coupang and Naver. Gmarket, currently ranking fifth in the Korean e-commerce market by monthly active users, is banking on the synergy of Shinsegae’s retail strength and Alibaba’s global-tech prowess to disrupt the current duopoly.

The video below discusses e-commerce trends and potential shifts in the market, which is relevant as Gmarket's new investment is a major attempt to reshape the South Korean e-commerce landscape.