In a striking surge, Chinese e-commerce companies are rapidly expanding their foothold in the South Korean market, leveraging ultra-low pricing as their primary strategy.

Data from application and retail analysis service WiseApp reveals that these platforms are witnessing unprecedented growth in user numbers. 

As of last month, AliExpress, a leading Chinese e-commerce app, boasted 8.18 million users in South Korea, marking the highest figure since records began in 2016. This represents a staggering 130% increase compared to the same period last year, which saw 3.55 million users. 

Other Chinese e-commerce platforms are also experiencing significant growth. Temu’s user count reached 5.81 million, while Shein recorded 680,000 users last month, both setting new records for their respective apps. 

When looking at the most used shopping portals by Koreans, Coupang continues to hold the top spot, with AliExpress closely following, signaling a competitive shift in the market landscape. The list also includes 11st, Temu, Gmarket, TMON, Wemakeprice, and GS Shop, among others.

According to WiseApp, only AliExpress, Temu, and Coupang saw a year-over-year increase in users among the portals analyzed.

This study was conducted by WiseApp based on a sample survey of South Korean Android and iOS smartphone users. It’s worth noting that the actual number of users, including those visiting websites, might differ from these rankings.

This story was originally published by Yonhap, via Korea Bizwire.

This story was originally published by Ashley Song, via Korea Bizwire.