Cross-Border E-Commerce: Trends and Opportunities in Retail

Cross-border e-commerce is rapidly evolving, driven by Gen Z's digital habits and innovative logistics models.

### The Rise of Cross-Border E-Commerce and the Implications for Retail
* 🌐 Cross-border e-commerce is a rapidly growing global market, estimated to reach **over 1 trillion USD by 2023**, with China being the **largest exporter** and Europe the **largest importer**.
* 🛍 The surge in cross-border e-commerce is largely driven by Generation Z consumers, who prioritize **product quality and value over brand names**, and rely heavily on **social media for product discovery and purchasing decisions**.
* 🚚 Innovations in logistics and supply chain management are crucial for the success of cross-border e-commerce, with companies like Taobao and Shein pioneering new models that offer **fast shipping** and **engaging shopping experiences**.
* 🌍 The global nature of cross-border e-commerce presents both challenges and opportunities for Korean brands and retailers, who need to **adapt their marketing and distribution strategies** to target Gen Z consumers effectively.
* 💻 While Korea lags behind in AI adoption in the retail sector, there is a growing recognition of the importance of AI in **optimizing product assortment, pricing, promotions, and customer engagement**.
* 📊 Successful implementation of AI in retail requires a significant focus on change management, with the "**10:20:70 rule**" emphasizing that **70% of the effort should be dedicated to people and organizational transformation**, rather than just algorithms and technology.

Hello again. I am Kim Yeon-hee from the Boston Consulting Group. I have been giving this lecture for about four years now, and fortunately, every time I come, the topics change, which allows me to share new insights. However, it also makes me realize how quickly the world is changing. 

Today, I would like to talk about what I believe is the biggest issue in the retail industry this year, as mentioned earlier by the association president and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. I think it is cross-border e-commerce. Within our BC team, we refer to it as cross-border commerce. As cross-border retail begins to take off in our country, many people seem to be confused about how to interpret this trend. Therefore, we will look at the current state of cross-border e-commerce worldwide and...

I will explain how to approach this topic, and I have structured the section into three parts. The first part is about the current state of cross-border e-commerce. In fact, we struggled quite a bit to compile this data, but I was quite surprised to see that the proportion of cross-border commerce in global distribution is quite high. As you might expect, it is growing very rapidly. 

The second part will discuss the drivers behind why cross-border e-commerce has suddenly become such a big deal. Lastly, in the third part, I will explain what this means for companies in our country, using the beauty industry as an example. I have been consulting in the retail sector for quite some time, and our perception of retail is that it is a local industry.

I have been thinking a lot about this. Even though Walmart, Loop, and Task have entered our country, they all ended up failing and leaving. This made us realize that globalization in retail is quite challenging. Similarly, in e-commerce, the winners in each country tend to be very local companies. Of course, there are markets centered around Amazon in the U.S. and some European markets, but even so, in each country, local e-commerce players like Coupang in Korea and Rakuten in Japan dominate the market. However, the moment we started discussing cross-border e-commerce, I saw a significant shift indicating that retail can indeed become global. So, the question is whether retail will continue to focus on local customers as it has until now.

I believe this is a very important test regarding whether true globalization is possible. What I find surprising is the size of the global cross-border e-commerce market. Based on estimates for 2022 and 2023, it is around 900 trillion to over 1 trillion. It can be quite challenging to gauge whether this is a large or small market. However, if we look at it roughly, cross-border commerce accounts for about 15% of the global e-commerce market, which is a much larger figure than one might expect. Naturally, it is growing at a very fast pace, similar to or even slightly faster than traditional commerce. The momentum for this growth undoubtedly came during the COVID period when people were unable to travel and instead turned to direct purchases or reverse direct purchases to shop from other countries.

The emergence of such a market became prominent during the COVID period. However, we looked at this from two perspectives: which countries are sending out a lot of goods, from the export perspective, and then from the import perspective. 

First, from the export perspective, the largest exporting country in the world for cross-border e-commerce, which is close to a trillion dollars, is, as you might expect, China. It is estimated that over 40% of global shipments originate from China. Surprisingly, there is also a significant amount coming from the United States and Europe. The second and third largest markets are the United States and Europe, and the figures here include shipments from the U.S. to Asia, as well as those from the U.S. to Europe. However, it also includes goods moving within the U.S., or shipments from the U.S. to Canada or South America. Based on U.S. data, about half of the market can be considered domestic.

The numbers are coming out a bit larger, and similarly, in Europe, everything is cross-border. Therefore, about one-sixth of the volume is for the European market, and the rest goes to the rest of the world. I expect that most of this will include luxury goods. When we look at the largest markets for exports, they are China, the United States, and Europe. If we consider this from an import perspective, the largest market in the world is the European market. This indicates that there is a significant demand for importing at relatively reasonable prices through commerce in Europe, which makes the European and American markets quite large. Surprisingly, China is also a country that imports a considerable amount of goods. To summarize, from an export perspective, China is a very important exporting country, while from an import perspective, Europe and the United States are the major markets.

You might find it interesting, and later on, we will show you the Jongnam Market, which is a country where cross-border commerce has developed quite uniquely. Looking at our country's market, the recent AliExpress haul shows that the entire e-commerce market is only about 5 to 6%. So, compared to other countries, our country is not one where direct purchases have developed significantly. On the other hand, it is correct to expect that we will all grow. The reverse direct purchase market is estimated to be around 2.4 trillion. The reverse direct purchases by our sellers going abroad might be slightly larger. This is because, when the Customs Office compiles statistics, it counts individual transactions, but the volume from local fulfillment centers, warehouses, or corporations established there is not included in these figures, leading to an underestimation. Nevertheless, direct and reverse direct purchases...

Everyone is experiencing rapid growth, and with the sudden entry of Alibaba and Taobao into our country, the impact on the Korean distribution market is enormous. Compared to other countries, it is still relatively small, but we believe that a significant number of competitors will be coming in, so we need to prepare for that. For our local brands and distribution businesses, the presence of these platforms is a tremendous opportunity, which I will explain in more detail in the third section. 

However, when we look at the direct purchase market, it is important to note that while we often mention platforms like Alibaba, Taobao, and Amazon, Coupang still holds the largest share of the direct purchase market in Korea. The problem is that the market is highly fragmented, making it very difficult for a few companies to consolidate their presence in the direct purchase sector.

We believe that this market will inevitably become very fragmented due to the numerous global direct purchase companies that exist. Of course, domestic distributors are very anxious and need to prepare a lot, but this market has characteristics that make it very difficult for just one or two companies to dominate. On the other hand, we believe this market will grow, and I will explain the driving factors again. As for where the products come from and where they go, we have conducted an analysis. We have made significant efforts in this regard. Based on our analysis of the outgoing products, the country that imports the most through reverse direct purchasing from South Korea is Japan. Up until now, the market where the K-beauty brand has had the largest share is actually China, primarily due to political reasons.

Due to various issues, China's presence has significantly diminished, and surprisingly, Japan is a very large market. The second is Southeast Asia, followed by Europe and China. Until now, our country's brands and products have primarily focused on emerging markets like China and Southeast Asia, but the market is now opening up to developed countries. This holds significant meaning. Naturally, if we look at imports, the largest markets are actually China and the United States. The United States, thanks in part to Amazon, plays a crucial role, so we can expect our products to come from places like China, the U.S., and Europe. Therefore, our assumption that China is a major player is influenced by recent developments, particularly due to Alibaba, while on the other hand, luxury brands like Patch are also emerging.

If we think about entering the market, Europe and the United States are very important import countries for us. It seems that we can understand that. In particular, among the markets we see as opportunities, as I mentioned earlier, there is Japan, as well as Europe and the United States, but I believe Southeast Asia is also a market that deserves significant attention. While there are some differences between countries in Southeast Asia, the overall cross-border e-commerce proportion is quite high in those countries. For example, in Thailand, the total e-commerce penetration is 22%, and the proportion of direct purchases is half of that. Similarly, in Vietnam, it's also half, and in Indonesia, 25% of the total e-commerce is considered cross-border. The reasons for this can be summarized in three points. The first reason is...

Countries are producing low-cost manufacturing equipment globally, but there aren't many production bases that can satisfy domestic consumers. As a result, there is a desire to purchase good products from abroad. 

Another very important reason is that among these countries, especially Lazada, many sellers from that country and other countries have already entered the market. From our perspective, companies like Coupang or, for example, Daekon have sellers who are already globalized. This makes the proportion of direct purchases from overseas relatively high in those countries. However, among these countries, there is a significant demand for new sellers beyond just Chinese sellers. Therefore, Southeast Asia can be seen as an opportunity for us, which is why I wanted to mention it specifically.

But what we're curious about is why cross-border commerce is suddenly making such a stir. This is something we wonder about. As I mentioned, we believe that cross-border e-commerce will continue to grow. There are three reasons for this. First, the driving force behind cross-border e-commerce is not baby boomers or millennials, but Generation Z. Due to the characteristics of Gen Z, cross-border e-commerce is bound to grow from the customer perspective. 

Second, there are many innovative distribution models emerging centered around these consumers. This means that it cannot only rely on the demand side; there are now innovative distribution models emerging on the supply side as well. Finally, if we consider the characteristics of logistics, cross-border e-commerce would not be able to thrive without a growing e-commerce market.

There has been quite a bit of innovation to support cross-border e-commerce in the logistics sector. For these three reasons, I believe this is an important trend that cannot be overlooked. Let me explain each point. First, I want to talk about Gen Z. Recently, we have been analyzing customers in various countries globally due to a cosmetics company. The countries we focused on are Japan, the United States, and India. When we looked at these countries, we expected to see differences in income levels, ethnic backgrounds, and skin tones. One group is Asian, another is Caucasian, and the third group has diverse characteristics. However, what was surprising is that Gen Z around the world shares many similarities. Regardless of where they live or their income level, they exhibit very similar traits. So,

Global Gen Z can almost be considered as a single customer group. However, there are two main characteristics to note. First, they are very accustomed to digital environments; their shopping experience begins and ends entirely online. The second interesting characteristic is that they are very smart. To elaborate on how smart they are, they are intelligent, savvy, and make rational purchasing decisions. They look for cheaper alternatives for the same product, which we refer to in English as dupe. Therefore, they are not swayed by brands; rather, they are influenced by the substance of the products themselves. So, these are the two characteristics of Global Gen Z.

In the United States, Anna living in San Francisco, Anna living in Delhi, India, or Anna living in Tokyo, Japan, all share very similar characteristics. Therefore, if a global platform targets Gen Z, there is almost no reason to differentiate by country. This is related to digital trends. We studied this in the United States, and as you may know, the shopping journey for Gen Z does not start on Naver. They often begin on platforms like YouTube or Instagram; in the case of the United States, 76% start on TikTok. The initial step in their shopping journey is influenced by what people use and what influencers do on TikTok. This is a common trend. Whether it's TikTok or other social media, beauty influencers and reviews play a significant role in this process.

There are quite a few friends making decisions about shopping. This issue is not unique to them; it's the same in Japan, India, and everywhere else. A significant part of their shopping begins and ends with social media. Therefore, we are particularly focusing on the cosmetics related to Gen Z in the United States. Everything, from inspiration to purchase, starts digitally, especially through social media. While the popular social media tools may differ from country to country, the overall approach does not vary much across nations. Another characteristic of these consumers is that they engage in value-based consumption. For example, they do not simply decide that L'Oréal or Sisley is good; instead, they evaluate the efficacy of each brand individually.

In the products made by L'Oréal, the vitamin content is at a certain percentage, but I noticed that in indie brands, the vitamin content is double that. People are making judgments based on this. Additionally, there is a fairly intellectual inclination among them. Importantly, one of the highest segments is those who would choose to purchase a cheaper alternative if the products are similar. This can be interpreted as one of the significant reasons why large global brands are struggling. Back in my day, as a baby boomer, large brands grew through brand awareness established by TV advertising. However, globally, large brands are in decline. One of the major reasons indie brands are thriving is that consumers are not buying based on the brand but rather on the content of the products, which is a characteristic of Generation Z.

The reason is this: when I mention this, in the past, many of our client companies would say, Oh, that's just for Gen Z; it doesn't apply to millennials or baby boomers. However, as you well know, Gen Z holds the leading role in consumer spending in every household. Gen Z is educating their mothers and fathers, which means that their characteristics spill over to millennials and baby boomers as well. We have confirmed and witnessed significant changes in this regard. So, given these characteristics, we don't necessarily need to differentiate the markets by country when it comes to Gen Z being the main focus. There is no offline presence for Gen Z; it starts online and ends online. In particular, social media has become a very important shopping destination for them. The second point is...

No matter how much demand-side leads exist, if the supply side cannot address them, it cannot be commercialized. Interestingly, I don't know if you're aware, but at least in China, Taobao and Shein were not the first platforms to open. They aimed to capture the global market from the start, which is why they launched as a global-oriented platform. However, Taobao's target is Amazon, while Shein is like Zara. Taobao's important philosophy is to supply a vast number of products at cheaper prices than anyone else, similar to what Amazon offers. Additionally, they emphasize making shopping fun, incorporating a significant gamification factor. When we enter their platform, there are wheels and other engaging elements.

I was quite surprised, and there are several promotions here. For those who have used it, you might know that in the middle of shopping, there are pop-ups saying, If you buy this within 10 minutes, you'll get a discount. This is not just about pushing sales; it excites people throughout the shopping process. As a result, the average time spent on Taemu shopping exceeds 30 minutes. Most of the time, when we shop on Coupang, it takes less than 5 minutes. We quickly select and exit, and this time keeps getting shorter. However, Taemu is engaging, which keeps people on the platform longer. This model has a strong attraction, and of course, it also offers great value. Additionally, Shein is a company that pursues extreme fast fashion. Compared to Zara or Uniqlo, it offers a vast number of items.

They do a ripple every six weeks, and they create a thousand new items each day. This is possible due to their own medical foundation in the mine. However, among those thousand items, one of them could disappear by tomorrow. So, from the customer's perspective, they can continuously see new things, but some of those items might not be available for sale the next day. This provides a value proposition to the customers while the company continues to grow. Therefore, it has a very strong value proposition model. 

When we think of Chinese products, we often consider them cheap or low-quality, but looking at these two sites, we can confirm that it's not just that. Of course, I don't believe that they will dominate the global market completely, but we believe that companies like these will continue to emerge. That's why cross-border...

We believe that commerce will never die. The third important point is that, as we often say in the distribution and logistics association, we cannot exclude logistics when discussing e-commerce. Whether we make money or not depends on logistics. The reason that all e-commerce companies in our country, except for Coupang, are not profitable is due to logistics. Particularly in cross-border e-commerce, the characteristic is that a seller takes a product and sends it to the destination. When my son was studying in the United States, we would send him goods, but we cannot create e-commerce in that way. The good news is that very diverse logistics models are emerging, such as those from Korea's Korea Post and Alibaba.

Companies are wondering how to deliver the vast amounts of goods in cross-border e-commerce more quickly and accurately. On the far left, there were past characteristics, and as you know, the problem with those characteristics was uncertainty about arrival times. When would it actually arrive? Where is it in transit? Sometimes it even goes missing, and there are numerous pain points regarding who took it. However, now there are various fulfillment models. For instance, when we talk about Taobao, they have fulfillment centers for high-turnover SKUs, and they simply ship from there. Furthermore, in some cases, they establish fulfillment centers in the respective countries. For example, AliExpress is working on setting up fulfillment centers in South Korea to facilitate fast-moving goods.

Items are simply sent within the country, so models are now emerging that allow for next-day or two-day delivery. As we move forward, logistics companies are also in a frenzy to prepare for CB servers, figuring out how to make the process faster, more predictable, and cost-effective. This upgrade in logistics is happening because customers, e-commerce businesses, and logistics providers are all working together. While cross-border e-commerce may seem to be rapidly growing in our eyes, I believe it has the potential to become a significant global trend. Now, how should we interpret this? What I have prepared today is mainly from the perspective of sellers and brand operators.

Of course, I believe that this also applies to distribution businesses. In the era of cross-border e-commerce, if we are to rise, how should we change? On the left, we see examples like Amore, LG, and CJ CheilJedang, which are typically seen in globalization. Many distribution companies in our country, even when going global, have likely used the model on the left. So, where did they go? Primarily to China and emerging countries, as they seem more manageable. The second thing to consider is the go-to market. Which distribution channels should I use? Will those channels provide me with shelf space, or should I use agents or partners? The biggest concern from a brand's perspective is the order in which expansion in distribution should take place. As a result, a tremendous amount of money is required.

What do you want? If we look at it briefly, we are talking about a 5 to 10-year vision. This was the case when Choco Pie was being introduced and when our Shin Ramyeon was launched; they were all similar models. It was a model that required a high pack and then achieving long-term business performance, along with building up distribution. However, in today's cross-border e-commerce, there is no need to move in that way. We don't necessarily have to focus on Southeast Asia; we can cover the entire world, and we can do it simultaneously. But one very important difference is that you shouldn't be worrying about distribution; instead, you need to focus on marketing. Just the other day, I was talking with a company that said they wanted to go global. That's great! So, we discussed which countries we should penetrate for distribution. But hold on, if you are targeting Gen Z, it's important...

How are we going to penetrate TikTok? It's very important to determine which TikTok sellers we will market with. This is not a money game; we believe it is a game of ideas and customer insights. Therefore, marketing is the most important aspect. In fact, breaking into distribution is not that difficult. Many distributors are now very open to attracting good sellers. In the past, we only thought about distribution in terms of 1, 2, and 3, but now there are so many options for landing customers through social media. As a result, distribution is not the concern; marketing is the concern. After that, going into offline distribution is an option, but it’s not mandatory. Therefore, it's not a model that relies heavily on faxing.

So when we look at the beauty brands in our country, we see that many brands are emerging that sell for 50 billion, 100 billion, or 200 billion won, even with minimal investment, if any, after going to Japan. This is especially true among indie brands. However, I believe that even if we interpret this as distribution, it is not much different. Does distribution have to operate solely targeting Korean customers? There are also thoughts like, We can't create something like Tena or Shea. In such cases, this is not something that will take five or ten years. Because it operates on a low-asset model, if there is just an idea or a smart thought, this model can be realized at any time. If we look at the brands we currently have in Japan, we can see that they are involved in various areas.

We are entering the national and platform markets. In particular, when we ask about domestic brands, everyone is enthusiastic. What surprised us greatly is that when we meet our global partners, partners in India and Europe also ask us to introduce good brands. The distributors in those regions are interested in this. In the past, we only talked about K-beauty and K-fashion, but now various brands are generating significant sales on reverse purchase sites in Japan. We believe that the U.S. market is no exception. We conducted a study on the beauty market in the U.S., and since there are many women here, we found that when Morena and LG Household & Health Care were globalizing, the key aspect they emphasized was Asian beauty.

There is a reason for this. The skin of Asians, Caucasians, and Africans is different, and what surprised us is that Gen Z is not really concerned about skin tone; they have a preference for that radiant skin. In the U.S., Caucasian girls are using an enormous amount of skincare products. The U.S. market has originally developed a lot in terms of color cosmetics and fragrances, while Asia has focused on skincare. Europe is similar to the U.S. However, the question is how Gen Z Asians can achieve that radiant skin. I also need to use serums with vitamins and essences, which has become a hot topic right now. As a result, the skincare market in the U.S. is booming. Once something starts trending, it spreads tremendously on TikTok.

I looked at the top skincare brands featured on Instagram, and among them, the proportion of Asian brands is over 20%. One of these brands is from our country. However, there is no LG Household & Health Care brand among them. So, what does this mean? These brands are all known for their efficacy. This indicates that we are no longer in an era where large brands dominate the market. On the other hand, if we look at where people are purchasing these products, it is primarily through e-commerce sites, which are quite diverse. Currently, I mentioned that cross-border e-commerce is still fragmented, and it remains very much in that state. However, we believe that this trend will continue to rise in the future. So, to summarize what I mentioned today, I will discuss matters related to AI.

I will explain a bit about the situation. First of all, something surprising is happening in our country recently. Cross-border commerce is a very important global trend, and you should not think of it as a trend that will appear briefly and then disappear. Surprisingly, our country has a low penetration of cross-border e-commerce compared to other countries, which already occupy a significant share. I would like to mention three driving forces that lead us to believe that cross-border commerce will continue to grow: first, the customers; second, the innovation on the platform side, not just the sellers; and third, logistics. If we consider these three reasons, we believe that cross-border commerce will drive forward even more strongly.

There is, however, a perspective that we shouldn't view this defensively from the standpoint of distribution companies regarding some K-brands in our country. Particularly from the viewpoint of brand companies, this presents a great opportunity for global expansion due to its very light business model. I believe a favorable environment has been created for brands that can go global. Similarly, we do not think that this is such a bad opportunity for e-commerce operators either. Currently, they are focusing too much on Korean customers and are viewing this trend too defensively. On the other hand, if we look at it from an aggressive standpoint, we believe that we could create business models similar to those of companies like Temu and Shein. Therefore, rather than a defensive perspective, we should adopt a more aggressive approach to cross-border e-commerce.

I think it would be desirable for you to look at this. Up to this point, I have briefly shared some perspectives on the CB market, and now I will briefly discuss AI. We have many slides, but we will only explain one or two. First of all, many people ask us about AI since everyone here has done a lot of studying. We have been talking about AI for a long time, especially about machine learning, for over five or six years now. The question is, how should we interpret AI? Some of you may already know, but I think it would be helpful to understand it simply as self-learning and supervised learning. Self-learning is what handles our analytics, while supervised learning is a bit more...

You can think of the brain as a creator. The generative AI we are discussing now can be seen as a more generative, alternative version of traditional AI. Until now, we have continuously driven more analytical AI. However, these two types are combining, and as they do, common aspects are emerging. If we think about this simply, I will explain how our country's retailers and global retailers view traditional AI and generative AI. In conclusion, I must say that our country is significantly lagging in AI. I am not saying we are technologically behind, but rather that we are quite behind in terms of application. This applies to all major retailers in our country.

What surprised us was that at the end of last year, we visited several distribution companies in Korea related to our global operations. What I found particularly surprising was that many global distributors have a structure where the largest department is the MD (Merchandising) department, followed by SCM (Supply Chain Management), sourcing, sales, and marketing departments. However, almost all of these distributors were using AI across nearly all functions. What does this mean? It means that in terms of product assortment, AI is being applied extensively. In Korea, product assortments are usually classified based on standard models or commercial districts. For example, we categorize them as apartment districts or school districts, which are standardized by region. In contrast, foreign companies have already customized their assortments for each individual store.

You can think of it as being personalized; it is curated. However, this cannot be done by humans. Even if I have over a thousand stores or just a hundred, it is impossible for a person to create assortments for each store. This is all being handled by AI, which is quite astonishing. Secondly, pricing has been implemented with AI, promotions have been done with AI, and marketing for individual customers has also been introduced with AI. However, in the domestic market, no distribution company is fully utilizing this. They still rely on standard assortments of five or, in many cases, about ten categories. Pricing is mostly manual, and while some are working on promotions, many are still quite behind. So, while we talk about being a strong AI country, in reality, when we look at distribution, we find ourselves lagging behind.

They are looking at this, but what they want to achieve through AI is something we all know from experience in distribution: the profit margins are getting thinner. In the past, we would see at least a 5% to 7% operating profit, but these days, making money is not easy. Convenience stores are continuously struggling, and e-commerce is in an even tougher situation. However, what they are introducing with AI is what we call precision. They are implementing AI to generate profits down to the last cent or won. This involves determining when to offer discounts, what kind of promotions to run, and how to make recommendations—all of these aspects are handled by machines. Of course, we understand that it costs money to implement these systems and to develop the necessary talent, but we also recognize that if we don’t do this...

I don't think we can go. From our perspective, when we talk about implementing this more, in many cases, people say that machines are not as accurate as humans. Most distribution companies refuse to accept this, and I understand that. However, as you know, the more data we input and train AI, the better the results we can achieve. In our country, people are very intelligent, and there is a belief that if we work hard with diligence, we can outperform machines. This mindset leads to the continuous rejection of machines. I believe this is not the right approach. We tell many companies this, and they all express similar concerns. Once we overcome this hurdle, many amazing things will happen. For example, at L'Oréal, they are indeed embracing technology.

Our company has been working with AI for a very long time. We have beauty counselors who are using generative AI to talk about products. They would say, If you ask this question, provide this answer; if you ask that question, provide that answer. However, when I come in, the AI generates dialogues based on the content these counselors have previously used, their recent experiences, as well as factors like the person's nationality or style. It creates dialogues for discussing products in a personalized manner. We are currently incorporating some aspects of human emotion into this generative AI. 

Walmart is also engaging in various operations. They are not only handling document tasks within the company but also managing distribution, order management, and exploring new business opportunities. I keep mentioning this because I'm not a technician myself.

I believe that while you may know more than I do, the important thing is that it's not due to a lack of technology that AI has not been integrated into our country's distribution system. I see it as a failure of change management. Technology is still being developed, but within our business and among our organization members, there are excuses being made that prevent the application of these technologies, and there is some resistance to their implementation. This is the reality in our country. 

However, I don't think we can simply ignore this issue. Based on my extensive experience in distribution, I've noticed that what happens in advanced countries tends to occur in our country within a timeframe of about three to five years. Of course, there are instances where things happen more quickly in our country, especially related to customers, but when it comes to businesses, the process is much slower.

I wake up, so you will hear a lot about AI at this seminar. First of all, of course, AI technology is not just for personal achievement. That’s why we strongly advise you to pursue AI that can generate revenue. However, I want to emphasize that you shouldn’t refuse it just because it doesn’t seem profitable at the beginning. Secondly, as I mentioned before, in the past, we only talked about theory, but now, the application, including practical aspects, can be much broader, so I hope you can understand that. The most important point is the third one. Through our work with many companies on digital transformation and AI, we have realized the ratio of 10:20:70. What this means is that 10% is algorithms, 20% is technology, and 70% is people. Ultimately, this is not something that AI can handle alone; it requires human utilization and application.

If there is no change management for those who enhance and those who accept it, we have seen many cases where AI transformation fails. So, when we talk about AI transformation, we often focus much more on the 10% and 20% aspects rather than the 70%. There is an algorithm, and the data is confirmed, but that is not what is important. It seems we should be discussing the 70% much more. That concludes my presentation. If there are any questions, I would be happy to take them; if not, I will wrap up.

[제12회 유통산업주간] 유통 미래 트렌드 : CBE(Cross Border E-Commerce) 및 Gen-AI

대한상공회의소 유통TV

Cross-border e-commerce is rapidly growing and now accounts for 15% of the global e-commerce market, with China being the largest exporter.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly boosted this market as people turned to international shopping.

The United States and Europe also play a major role in cross-border commerce, with Europe being the largest importer of goods.

The Unique Cross-Border Commerce in Jongnam Market

Jongnam Market's cross-border commerce is developing uniquely, with the country's e-commerce market only at 5-6%.

The reverse direct purchase market is significant, and the entry of Alibaba and Taobao is impacting the Korean distribution market.

The direct purchase market in Korea is fragmented, with Coupang holding the largest share, and there is a growing opportunity for local brands in the face of global competitors.

The Impact of Generation Z on Cross-Border E-Commerce

Generation Z is the driving force behind the growth of cross-border e-commerce, sharing similar traits globally and influencing purchasing decisions through digital environments and social media.

Innovative distribution models are emerging to support this trend from both the demand and supply sides.

The logistics sector is also evolving to support cross-border e-commerce, making it a significant trend that cannot be overlooked.

Gen Z is now the leading force in consumer spending, influencing millennials and baby boomers.

Their shopping habits are primarily online, with social media playing a crucial role in their purchasing decisions.

Platforms like Taobao and Shein have emerged with a global focus, using gamification and rapid product turnover to engage customers and drive sales.

Logistics companies are evolving to offer faster delivery within the country, driven by collaboration with e-commerce businesses and customers.

The traditional model of global expansion is changing, with brands now able to target the entire world simultaneously through social media marketing.

The focus has shifted from distribution to marketing, with indie brands in Korea successfully emerging and growing with minimal investment in markets like Japan.

Expanding into National and Global Markets

The company is entering national and platform markets, with global partners in India and Europe showing interest in domestic brands.

beauty market is booming, driven by Gen Z's preference for radiant skin and the popularity of Asian skincare brands.

Cross-border e-commerce is fragmented but is expected to grow, presenting a great opportunity for global expansion and aggressive business models.

AI has been a focus for over five years, with self-learning and supervised learning as its main components.

The combination of traditional and generative AI is emerging, but the application of AI in the retail sector is lagging in the country.

Global distributors are using AI extensively across all functions, including product assortment, pricing, and marketing, while domestic companies are still relying on standard models and manual processes.

AI is being implemented to achieve precision in generating profits, but the struggle to make money in the retail industry is becoming increasingly challenging.

The Role of AI in Distribution and Business Transformation

AI's integration into the distribution system is often rejected due to a belief in outperforming machines, but this mindset is hindering progress.

The speaker highlights successful AI applications at companies like L'Oréal and Walmart, emphasizing the importance of data and personalized interactions.

They stress that AI transformation requires a focus on people and change management, with a 70% emphasis on human utilization and application.