From Shopping Blogger to Entrepreneur

Early in 2003, Kang Hee-jae (29) posted photographs of her favorite clothes and accessories on her “Mini-Homepy” in the Internet community website Cyworld.

Netizens raved over the unique designs. Word of her fashion savvy spread over the Internet and soon around 10,000 people were visiting her Mini-Homepy every day.

Gaining confidence, Kang quit her former job and established her own Internet shopping mall, called “Uptown Girl,” in April 2004.

As in Kang’s case, “shopping bloggers” are evolving. Shopping bloggers are people who post product information on the Internet.

They usually start by posting reviews, such as, “I used it, and it was good,” or “It didn’t meet my expectations,” after using certain products. But now they are also becoming “shopping curators,” who pick out trendy products in their private websites and blogs.

Bloggers who receive recognition from the netizens are evolving into entrepreneurs.

Evolving into Shopping Curators-

Park Mee-soo (25, office worker) always checks consumers’ reviews when buying products in Internet shopping malls because they are important information in the Internet where one has to buy a product without seeing it first.

Park said, “If the product had received positive reviews, I buy it.”

Reviews made by consumers are becoming greatly influential on the choices other consumers make, and going with this trend, bloggers are becoming “shopping curators,” picking out and exhibiting products like curators in museums.

They introduce their favorite products through their blogs, encouraging others to buy the product.

Turning into Entrepreneurs-

Kang, the popular shopping blogger who has become an entrepreneur, has made a contact with GS Homeshopping and has been selling her “Uptown Girl” fashion products through the home shopping channel starting this month. The first airing brought in 400 million won. After three airings, one billion won worth of products were sold.

Gong Joo-hee (23), a university student, has become “President Gong” since this March. She starting posting information on Hollywood stars’ fashion as a hobby, but later started her own business by setting up an Internet site that buys overseas products for consumers. She started with the goal of making some extra cash, but the business now gives her two to three million won a month.

Kim Woo-jin, the manager of CJ Homeshopping, said, “Instead of advertising comments given by the sellers, consumers prefer to trust the information given by shopping bloggers who have profound knowledge and great taste in certain fields.”

kimhs@donga.com