Hyundai Home Shopping Network airs live broadcasts from four countries

Hokkaido partnership targets local specialty products

CJ OnStyle exclusive tops 100 million won in sales

'Exclusive product race has expanded beyond private labels to overseas'

A still from Hyundai Home Shopping Network's "Global Shora Direct Buy" Spain episode, which aired Thursday. [Hyundai Home Shopping Network]
A still from Hyundai Home Shopping Network's "Global Shora Direct Buy" Spain episode, which aired Thursday. [Hyundai Home Shopping Network]

South Korea's home shopping industry has thrown itself into the hunt for exclusive overseas products, working to identify and build awareness around items that domestic consumers have yet to discover. Partnerships with foreign local governments and trade bodies are becoming increasingly common.

Hyundai Home Shopping Network airs its "Global Shora Direct Buy" program twice a week, broadcasting live from overseas locations. The format goes beyond straightforward product sales — it takes viewers directly to the source, whether that is a high-altitude olive farm in Spain or a specialty food producer in Japan, while selling items in real time.

Customers can place orders by phone or mobile app, just as they would for a standard broadcast, and the response has been strong. Since its launch in August 2024, the program has expanded to four participating countries: France, Italy, Japan and Spain. Average sales per episode in August rose more than 20 percent from the same period a year earlier.

A Shizuoka matcha set from Hiraoka Shoten, priced at 179,000 won ($132), sold on Sept. 7 and exceeded its sales target by 120 percent. A broadcast on Monday featuring the "Maruko One Shoulder Bag" — priced at 240,000 won and filmed at the Kanmi leather workshop in Asakusa, Tokyo — drew a cumulative viewership of more than 100,000.

"It is a way of offering customers a differentiated shopping experience through unique content, while also deepening their understanding of a product by showing how it is made and where it comes from," a Hyundai Home Shopping Network official said.

Hyundai Home Shopping Network recently signed a strategic partnership with Hokkaido, Japan, to source local specialty products — the first time the company has entered into a direct collaboration with a specific overseas region. Under the arrangement, Hokkaido's Bureau of Economy, Industry and Labor and its economic federation will identify premium local agricultural, livestock and marine products, while Hyundai Home Shopping Network handles domestic sales and marketing through its TV live broadcasts and online mall. The partnership is set to launch in November with Hokkaido natto and cream puffs, with plans to expand into Hokkaido travel products and co-hosted cultural events.

CJ OnStyle has also teamed up with the Italian Trade Agency to mount a large-scale product showcase. The "Viva Italia" pop-up store ran from Aug. 26 to Sept. 13 in Garosugil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, drawing about 100 brands across both online and offline channels — including labels introduced by the agency as well as brands CJ OnStyle sourced independently. The lineup ranged from well-known interior design names such as Artemide and Magis to brands with little prior recognition in Korea.

Among the standouts, the premium olive oil brand Muraglia, sold exclusively by CJ OnStyle, posted about 120 million won ($88,200) in sales during the event period. Bombugi, an Italian casual fashion brand also discovered and sold by CJ OnStyle, generated about 130 million won in sales.

"This is an extension of the competition among home shopping companies to grow their exclusive product lineups," one industry official said. "It has expanded beyond private-label goods to sourcing overseas products and brands that match domestic consumer tastes."

The premium olive oil brand Muraglia, sold at CJ OnStyle's "Viva Italia" pop-up store. [Kim Jin]
The premium olive oil brand Muraglia, sold at CJ OnStyle's "Viva Italia" pop-up store. [Kim Jin]

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