Dongbu Daewoo Electronics, the Korean home appliances maker, has launched on three online shopping malls in Japan as it seeks growth abroad.

The company has opened virtual stores on Rakuten Global Market, Amazon Japan and Yodobashi Camera.

Dongbu Daewoo head Kang Jae-hoon says the company wants to strengthen its brand position in Japan by ranging with retail partners which have both offline and online channels.

The Japanese white goods market is dominated by local brands, with foreign companies finding it hard to break in.

Dongbu Daewoo Electronics’ edge appears to be its specialisation in compact-size products sold offline in chains including Kaze, Bic Camera and Kojima.

Popular products include a compact 4.6kg washing machine, Classic retro-style refrigerator and microwave ovens.

Japan’s online market is growing at a rate of about 10 per cent annually.