Why online platforms are stepping outside: the offline push explained

Naver, Coupang Inc, Kurly and others hold a string of offline events

Platforms look beyond price and delivery to win loyalty and drive conversions

Naver held its 'Naver Plus Festa' event in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, through Nov. 1. [Naver]

Online platforms that once competed solely for clicks are now taking to the streets. They are luring consumers who once searched and paid for products through apps into physical venues — adding performances and festivals to the mix. The e-commerce race, long defined by price and delivery speed, is expanding into a contest for customer experience and loyalty.

Industry sources said Sunday that online platforms including Naver, Coupang Inc, Kurly and Bungaejangter have been staging a string of offline events. They are moving well beyond pop-up stores that simply display and sell products, broadening their reach into large-scale events designed to let visitors experience each platform's identity and strengths firsthand.

Naver kicked things off with "Naver Plus Festa," a festival held Oct. 30 through Nov. 1 in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, exclusively for Naver Plus membership holders. The event combined performances with brand experiences and drew more than 50 brands spanning food, beauty and living categories. Early-access tickets — available to membership users who had spent 200,000 won ($150) or more via Naver Pay — sold out in 40 minutes, with 3,000 tickets gone.

Naver used the event to strengthen ties between its membership holders and the brands on its platform. Brands ran product-trial booths and sample giveaways on-site, nudging visitors to subscribe to brand store alerts on Naver. The aim was to turn first-time offline encounters into repeat online customers.

Participating brands reported tangible results. Häagen-Dazs said its Naver brand store gained more than 3,000 new alert subscribers during the event, with new customers accounting for more than 83 percent of that total. Kiehl's saw new alert subscriptions and membership lounge sign-ups climb five to seven times above normal over the same period.

Coupang Inc is also using offline events to showcase its private-brand lineup. CPLB, the company's private-brand subsidiary, held its first offline festival — "Coupang Only Festa" — in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, from Sept. 17 to Sept. 20. The event featured more than 700 products, including roughly 600 private-brand items under labels such as Gomgom, Comet and Tamsa, alongside about 100 products from small and midsize manufacturers' own brands.

About 6,000 people visited over the four days. Attendees could sample rice and mixed grains and handle household goods to feel their materials directly — letting shoppers experience product qualities that an online screen alone cannot convey.

Visitors wait in line before entering the Kurly Beauty Festa 2026. [Kurly]

Kurly is extending its online curation expertise into the physical world. Building on its food-focused Kurly Food Festa, the platform is deepening its experiential push in beauty as well. The "Kurly Beauty Festa 2026," running through Friday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, features 45 brands. Visitors can try skincare, makeup, hair and body-care products in person and experience Kurly's editorial selection firsthand. The event reflects an ambition to move beyond online browsing and purchasing, letting consumers encounter the platform's curated brands and products offline before they buy.

Bungaejangter, a secondhand trading platform, is using offline events to build a space for sharing tastes and culture, not just completing transactions. The "2026 Bungae Flea Market Festival," set for Saturday and Sunday at Yeouido Park's Culture Square in Seoul, will bring together 150 seller teams. Influencers and sellers will offer products directly, and visitors can browse items spanning a wide range of interests. On-site transactions will be linked to in-app payments, channeling offline interest into activity on the platform.

The platforms' push offline is driven by a need to fill gaps in customer experience that online channels alone cannot bridge. Food can be tasted, cosmetics applied to skin, and household goods examined for material and quality in person. There is also an expected benefit in shifting how consumers perceive the platform — from a simple purchasing channel to a space for discovering brands and products.

Offline events also serve as a tool for retaining loyal customers. They offer existing users differentiated perks while giving new users a tangible first point of contact with the platform.

"Online platforms can execute highly targeted marketing using customer data, but there are limits to letting people directly experience products and brands," an industry official said. "Efforts to deepen customer relationships through offline events and channel that engagement back into purchasing activity on the platform will only grow."

The 2026 Bungae Flea Market Festival [Bungaejangter]

siuu@heraldcorp.com