Voluntary Influx of Global Users Centered on North America and China Expands... Full-Scale Global Expansion Begins This Year
Women Account for 90% of All Users, Those in Their Teens and Twenties for 85.1%... "Active Fandom" Culture Drives Growth
Subculture startup Cookie Place (co-CEOs Nam Sunwoo and Jang Donghyun) announced on the 26th that its transaction volume reached 43.6 billion won and its annual revenue reached 4.22 billion won in 2025. Cookie Place plans to speed up its push into overseas markets by leveraging its commission brokerage platform “CREPE.” Building on its track record of stable business performance in the domestic commission market and its experience growing together with female users in their teens and twenties, the company aims to expand its reach into the global subculture market.
Cookie Place presented data to demonstrate the market potential of CREPE, which has been posting high growth every year. CREPE’s annual transaction volume rose from 5.9 billion won in 2022, the year of its launch, to 13.6 billion won in 2023, 25.7 billion won in 2024, and 43.6 billion won in 2025, representing an average annual increase of 94.63%. The number of annual commission transactions and the company’s total annual revenue in 2025 also increased year-on-year by 92% (to approximately 1.74 million transactions) and 77% (to 4.22 billion won), respectively.
The increase in overseas customers using CREPE is also pronounced. As of 2025, transaction volume originating from overseas reached 1.92 billion won, up 188% from the previous year. As of December last year, the number of overseas users stood at 21,428, and has been steadily increasing since December 2023, when counting began (6,180 users). By region, North America, Southeast Asia, China, and Europe accounted for a large share of users, with usage particularly strong in North America and China.
A Cookie Place representative said, “Even before we carried out any dedicated overseas marketing, overseas users voluntarily created and shared ‘how to use CREPE’ guides in their own languages,” adding, “Among young female users of the ‘Zalpha generation’ (Generation Z plus the generation after) connected through social media around the world, voluntary promotion of CREPE and user acquisition through such efforts have continued. As a result, there has been a growing number of cases in which overseas users request commissions from domestic subculture creators via CREPE.”
Having confirmed robust growth in both domestic and overseas markets, Cookie Place has designated 2026 as the year of its global expansion and plans to build an ecosystem in which users worldwide can safely exchange creative works through CREPE. Cookie Place is currently operating an English-language help center for CREPE and official global social media channels, and has transformed into a global organization by hiring foreign team members. The company is strengthening consumer protection clauses in its terms of service, preparing to launch a mobile app within the year, and finalizing agreements with global payment processors, in order to establish a framework that allows domestic subculture creators to safely connect with users around the world.
The growth of CREPE and its push into global markets is underpinned by its base of female users in their teens and twenties. As of December 2025, CREPE had a total of 422,958 members, 90% of whom were women. By age group, users between 15 and 29 years old, that is, those in their teens and twenties, accounted for about 85% of all users. This concentration stems from the content consumption patterns of women in their teens and twenties. Rather than simply purchasing ready-made content and consuming it passively, these users prefer a “commission” culture in which they order and produce customized content they personally want, after sufficient communication with creators. This culture aligns with the preferences of young female users who value “active fandom,” and has effectively turned CREPE into a kind of playground for them.
Co-CEO Nam Sunwoo of Cookie Place said, “In 2026 as well, we will work hard to provide not only a safe transaction experience in which both sides can trust each other throughout the commission process, but also the experience of building strong relationships as a result.”
Co-CEO Jang Donghyun said, “We are striving to ensure that many more people around the world can discover and enjoy Korea’s subculture,” adding, “Through this, we will do our utmost to enable those who enjoy Korea’s commission culture to continue their fandom activities in a sustainable way.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
