Big news! eBay Korea will complete the preliminary bidding

As South Korea's e-commerce market faces turmoil, retailers are accelerating cooperation to strengthen their corporate positions and enhance their competitiveness in the online shopping market.

According to the distribution industry on the 14th, the preliminary bidding for eBay Korea, which was recently sold, will end on the 16th.

It is understood that eBay Korea, which operates online shopping malls Gmarket , Auction and G9, has been profitable for 16 consecutive years and ranks third in the domestic market.

Previously, Shinsegae Group, Lotte Group and Kakao were nominated as acquisition candidates. If they could merge with eBay Korea , they would have an advantage and be able to compete with Coupang , but now there are changes.

There are predictions that Coupang may acquire eBay Korea and Yogyukju, the second largest delivery app , but Coupang Chairman Kim Beom-seok said, “If we are not sure it is the right decision, we will not do it. ”

In addition, Shinsegae Group's E-Mart is negotiating a partnership with Naver, including a share swap, so the possibility of Shinsegae's acquisition has also decreased.

Researchers at Ebest Securities said in a report on the 10th: "The scale of the equity swap is estimated to be about 150 billion to 250 billion won . If the equity swap is realized, it will be the first case in the e-commerce industry to complete the entire model, including online and offline sales, offline logistics bases, and last-mile delivery. "

Therefore, there is a possibility that Lotte Group and Kakao will engage in a fierce competition around "eBay Korea".

Looking at the situation of Lotte Group, last month the head of Lotte's business division resigned due to the sluggish performance of the comprehensive online mall "Lotteon". The online mall is facing difficulties, so the acquisition of eBay Korea may be considered as a countermeasure .

As a rising star in online shopping, Kakao has a big gap with its competitor Naver , so it is likely to actively promote the acquisition of eBay Korea .

It is reported that eBay Korea's transaction volume last year was about 20 trillion won. If Kakao acquires eBay Korea, its scale will be comparable to Naver and Coupang .

No matter who takes over eBay Korea in the future , it will cause huge changes in the industrial sector of South Korea's local e-commerce.

South Korea

eBay

Preliminary bidding