"7 out of 10 Small Business Owners in Bu-Ul-Gyeong Prefer Naver Smart Store"

[Asia Economy Reporter Bu Aeri] A survey found that 7 out of 10 small business owners in the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam regions use the Naver Smart Store platform.

The Digital Economy Forum recently held a seminar on the theme of 'E-commerce Platforms and the Local Economy' in collaboration with the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Press Association and announced these research results on the 12th.

According to Professor Suhyeon Bu of Gyeongsang National University’s 'Survey on the Status of Small Business Owners in the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Region,' the preferred platforms for local small business owners were Naver Smart Store (74.6%), Coupang (15.7%), and other platforms (10%) in that order. Professor Bu evaluated that "digital platforms are acting as key tools leading to increased sales for small business owners."

Professor Kyutae Kwak of Soonchunhyang University also presented similar results. Professor Kwak distinguished sellers in the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam region from those in Seoul and compared the e-commerce ecosystems of each area. In both regions, sellers were registered in the order of Naver Smart Store, Coupang, 11st, and Gmarket.

Sellers cited 'low commission fees' as the most important consideration when joining a platform. In particular, small business owners in the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam region responded that 'the number of consumers visiting the shopping mall' was the second most important consideration.

Regarding the fact that the largest number of businesses joined Naver Smart Store, Professor Kwak evaluated, "Smart Store is a platform that helps sellers in the early stages of digital transformation and serves as a key sales channel for small business owners who find it difficult to build their own shopping malls."

Professor Jiyoung Kim of Sungkyunkwan University also stated, "Through digital platforms, local small business owners have been able to meet customers nationwide and even globally, overcoming the physical limitations of their region," and interpreted, "Platforms like Shopify and Naver enable small business owners to directly manage marketing, sales, and customer relations according to their situation, allowing sellers to secure their own brand and loyal customers."