Shinsegae's online shopping wing joins hands with CJ ENM for live commerce entertainment show

[Courtesy of SSG.com]

SEOUL -- The online shopping wing of South Korea's retail giant Shinsegae has teamed up with the country's top entertainment content maker to create new hybrid content of a live commerce shopping show and an entertainment variety show starring a popular comedian.

Live commerce is a term that refers to an online shopping content format that is very similar to a TV home shopping show. Show hosts showcase products while interacting with customers' messages in real-time. Sometimes, show hosts hold surprise events and offer generous gifts to customers watching live shows to attract more viewers in real-time.

SSG.com said in a statement on April 4 that the company collaborated with CJ ENM to release "Geosang Park Myung-soo," a live commerce variety entertainment show featuring comedian Park Myung-soo and a dancer known for her stage name Gabee. Geosang means a grand merchant in Korean. The first episode will be released through YouTube channels operated by SSG.com and CJ ENM. The show will be released by-weekly until July.

South Korean online shopping malls have competitively released online and mobile live commerce platforms to meet the urge of shoppers grounded by a COVID-19 pandemic. The live commerce market that stood at 400 billion won ($327.8 million) in 2020 is projected to stand at 10 trillion won in 2023, according to Kyobo Securities.