'Amazon Global Store' Opens on the 31st of This Month
[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] "We have prepared on a scale different from existing overseas direct purchase services, with overwhelming scale."
11st has partnered with Amazon to open the overseas direct purchase service 'Amazon Global Store' in Korea on the 31st. It has been about 10 months since Amazon announced its business cooperation with 11st in November last year.
Lee Sang-ho, president of 11st (photo), said at an online briefing on the 25th regarding the opening of the 'Amazon Global Store', "We launched Amazon Korea service to enable domestic customers to conveniently purchase products from around the world," adding, "After considering how customers could enjoy the Amazon Global Store more comfortably, we thought that enjoying the Global Store with the same purchasing experience as on 11st would be the most convenient."
11st made it possible to conveniently search, order, and pay for all products sold on Amazon that Korean customers prefer, that have no issues with importation, and can be delivered to Korea. They plan to sell tens of millions of products including digital, fashion, beauty, living, and books.
To enhance customer accessibility, the new 11st app has added 'Amazon Home', 'Amazon Best', and 'Amazon Deal' tabs next to the Home tab. An Amazon tab is also placed right next to the home button at the bottom of the screen. It is designed so that customers experiencing Amazon shopping for the first time can easily find desired products by viewing Amazon hot deal items and popular purchases at a glance. In particular, a 'Special Selection' of more than 160,000 products preferred by Korean direct purchase customers has been prepared.
When customers enter the desired product or keyword in the search bar, Amazon Global Store products are prioritized in the search results. Clicking on a product brings up a detailed page where product information from the Amazon site is semi-automatically translated on 11st, and below that, customers can read product reviews left by Amazon users in English or automatically translated Korean. After selecting the desired product and moving to the cart page, the steps of entering the delivery address and making payment are the same as on 11st.
The burden of shipping costs, which has been a stumbling block for overseas direct purchases, has also been drastically eliminated. If you subscribe to SK Telecom's new subscription product 'Universe Pass', free shipping benefits are provided on the Amazon Global Store regardless of the purchase amount. Even if you are not subscribed to Universe Pass, any 11st member can enjoy free shipping on purchases over 28,000 KRW on the Amazon Global Store.
President Lee introduced, "At this launch, we will sell tens of millions of books and products, and purchasing through 11st Amazon Global Service after subscribing to Universe Pass offers the best cost-effectiveness."
The delivery period, which usually takes more than two weeks for overseas direct purchases, is shortened to an average of 6 to 10 business days when using the Amazon Global Store. 'Special Selection' products are delivered faster, within an average of 4 to 6 days.
Customs duties (customs clearance agency fees) and shipping costs for purchased products can be paid all at once during the payment stage. Customers can use the payment methods provided by 11st as is, and SK Pay one-click payment is also available. A dedicated customer center that handles inquiries in Korean regarding orders, payments, delivery, returns, and refunds for Amazon products purchased on 11st is also operated.
Lee Sang-ho, president of 11st, emphasized, "Now 11st customers can enjoy Amazon's unique products, benefits, and convenient shopping experience without barriers of country or language," adding, "Starting with the opening of the Amazon Global Store, 11st will create innovative changes in the domestic overseas direct purchase market."
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