The online for offline (O4O) era is opening in earnest as an online database of O2O (online to offline) services.

According to the industry on June 9, Korean and overseas online-based companies are actively involving in offline.

Amazon is the leading online e-commerce company overseas. Amazon has opened its 7th offline bookstore `Amazon Books` in New York, USA last month. In Amazon Books, big data from Amazon users is utilized. Books are displayed and arranged according to the users` ratings, so that consumers can see books of similar taste. Amazon is expected to increase the number of offline bookstores from 300 to 400. In addition to bookstores, Amazon operates an unmanned shopping mall called ‘Amazon Go’, which does not have staff or cash registers.

Meanwhile in Korea, start-ups that started business with O2O service continue to involve in offline. Accommodation O2O company ‘Good Choice’ is preparing for additional opening of Good Choice` which is offline small and medium hotel affiliate shop. Currently, three stores are in operation, including Seoul Jamsil, Gwangju and Cheonan, and 4 to 12 stores are scheduled to open in areas such as Suwon, Gangneung, and Daegu. The company plans to complete remodeling of the building after completing the contract with 25 franchise stores this month. Good Choice stated, "It`s a case of applying the franchise model that customers like the most, using the big data of the customers who have accumulated over the years."

The real estate O2O Dabang opened `Dabang Care Center` in Gwanak-gu, Seoul last month. This center is a private space for offline use of the tea room that directly connects the users who are looking for the room and real estate agent who gives out the room. It provides services such as recommending personalized offers, visiting together, and renting tools. All services are complimentary. According to the company, the number of cumulative visitors exceeded 400 during the first month in May. Companies that are not familiar with real estate transactions account for 54% and 42% of users in the 20s and 30s, respectively, the company stated. The purpose of this center is to expand the cafe`s services to the O4O system by utilizing the data accumulated online and to manage the customers. In addition to Gwanak branch. The company is also considering opening additional centers.

Stripes, which offers customized men`s clothes O2O service, opened its first offline store in Star field Shopping Mall in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province earlier this year. Stripes is a service that allows the stylist to visit his/her home and consult the size measurement and style when he/she requests to visit the web or mobile. In the offline store, Stripes sells products such as `Stripes Segment Shirt 90` developed based on about 60,000 customer body data. Stripes’ professional style consultants provide body sizing and styling services directly. The company stated that it is the purpose of the offline store to provide more convenient services beyond online.

An industry expert said, "O2O is considered to be an illusion, but they are digging into life in parallel with offline services while O2O companies are not earning early service revenue."


By Jin Hyun Jin 2jinhj@


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