"Lotte Home Shopping Opens Export Path to Middle East for SMEs, Holds First Export Consultation in Dubai"

Lotte Homeshopping, 'Korea Brand Expo' Export Consultation Meeting.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] Lotte Homeshopping will hold the "Korea Brand Expo" export consultation meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from the 25th to the 29th, a five-day event aimed at helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) develop overseas market channels. The "Korea Brand Expo" is Lotte Homeshopping's win-win program that connects SMEs struggling to open sales channels with overseas distributors.

According to Lotte Homeshopping on the 24th, this Dubai event is the first export consultation meeting held this year, with 100 domestic SMEs participating. It will be conducted simultaneously online and offline, connecting Dubai and Seoul. The Middle East region has a stable consumer market formed by high purchasing power, and due to the Korean Wave, there is a high preference for K-brands, making it a promising export region.

Accordingly, after about six months of preparation, Lotte Homeshopping is holding the export consultation meeting for the first time in Dubai. Thirty companies will conduct direct consultations with local buyers in Dubai, while 70 companies in Seoul will receive consulting on store entry, local distribution environment, and export strategies. Approximately 200 buyers from neighboring Middle Eastern countries, including the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar, are expected to participate in the online consultation meeting.

From the 25th to the 27th, a showcase event exhibiting about 100 products from domestic SMEs will also be held at Dubai’s Festival City Mall. Reflecting the K-beauty boom, beauty products such as serums and mask packs, as well as daily necessities like KF94 masks, shower heads, and various health supplements, will be introduced to local buyers and customers. Additionally, various Korean Wave cultural performances will be presented, including a concert by the idol group VICTON, K-POP cover dance, and beauty makeup shows. Furthermore, product review videos by famous influencers such as Girls’ Generation’s Yuri and idol group SF9, using VR technology, will be released on the official website, and a "V Catalog" featuring product introductions and photos of participating companies will be showcased through an online exhibition hall.

On the last day of the event, the 29th, a commemorative ceremony will be held with a dual live broadcast connecting the InterContinental Hotel COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul, and Dubai. Attendees will include Lotte Homeshopping CEO Lee Wan-shin, Minister of SMEs and Startups Kwon Chil-seung, Acting Ambassador of the UAE to Korea Abdullah Saif Al Nuwaimi, and Girls’ Generation’s Yuri. They will celebrate the successful progress of the event and tour the product exhibition hall and online consultation sites.

Through the "Korea Brand Expo," Lotte Homeshopping holds export consultation meetings in regions where domestic SMEs wish to expand, supporting one-on-one consultations and product localization consulting. Notably, in November last year, following the "With Corona" policy, the first simultaneous online and offline "Korea Brand Expo" connecting Thailand and Seoul recorded about 550 cumulative consultations and a record-high consultation amount of 91 million USD.

Jung Yoonsang, Head of Communications at Lotte Homeshopping, said, "We are holding the export consultation meeting connecting Dubai and Seoul this year to support SMEs facing difficulties such as export slumps due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We plan to help the successful entry of Korean brands into Dubai, where demand for K-consumer goods and Korean Wave culture is high, and participate in overcoming the economic difficulties of SMEs with export strategies suited for the post-COVID era."