Offline Distribution · Layer 3

Get listed in Korean offline channels
through a proven route

Convenience stores, drug stores, hypermarkets, department stores, Costco — KONIVO handles the entire B2B distribution process, from buyer development to listing negotiation, delivery logistics, shelf management and settlement.

Challenge
In Korean offline distribution, buyers don't reach out to overseas brands first. Without a local sales network, a local entity and Korean-language negotiation, it's hard even to meet an MD.
Solution
KONIVO leverages existing buyer relationships to arrange MD and buyer meetings, and takes charge of listing-condition negotiation, document preparation and trial delivery. You just prepare the product and the volume.
Channels to enter
  • Convenience stores (CU · GS25 · 7-Eleven)
  • Drug stores (Olive Young · LOHB's)
  • Hypermarkets (E-Mart · HomePlus · Lotte Mart)
  • Department stores (Lotte · Shinsegae · Hyundai)
  • Costco Korea
  • Specialty retail (Daiso · Pierrot Shopping)

When you expand a product proven online into offline, you waste months without local buyer relationships and negotiation experience. KONIVO cut our time to listing in half.

US beauty brand · 8 weeks to drug store listing
8 wks
From buyer meeting
to first delivery
6+
Distribution channel
networks held
B2B
Direct buyer
negotiation on your behalf

Why Offline

Online alone is only half the Korean market

Korean consumer purchasing behavior discovers online and confirms offline. In major categories, the offline share still accounts for 40–60%.

01
Brand credibility
Offline listing
raises online revenue
A single line — "listed at Olive Young", "carried at E-Mart" — becomes a trust signal for your online store. Korean consumers show a strong pattern of repurchasing online a brand they saw offline.
2.3× Average rise in online conversion rate
after a drug store listing
Olive Young listing
Online awareness
+78%
Repeat purchase rate
+64%
Average order value
+42%
Olive Young
Beauty & health
CU / GS25
F&B & snacks
E-Mart
Food & living
Costco
Bulk & premium
02
Channel diversification
The optimal channel
differs by category
For beauty it's Olive Young, for F&B it's convenience stores, for health functional foods it's drug stores, and for premium food and home living, Costco gives the fastest large-scale exposure. KONIVO targets the channel that fits your category first.
6+ Major distribution channels
with buyer relationships
03
Volume expansion
Offline MOQ
lowers your unit production cost
Hypermarket and convenience store listings mean a single delivery volume 5–20× larger than online. Your unit production cost drops and you gain distribution leverage. A Costco listing guarantees the maximum quantity for a single channel.
5–20× Offline single delivery volume
on average vs online
Online store
~500 units/mo
Drug store
~2,500 units
Hypermarket
~5,000 units
Costco
~10,000 units

Channel Strategy

Entry strategy by channel

Every channel has a completely different buyer structure, delivery terms, required documents and margin structure. KONIVO approaches each channel with a tailored strategy.

Drug stores
Olive Young · LOHB's
Main categoriesBeauty, healthcare, supplements
Listing timeline8–16 weeks
Buyer structureDirect review by the MD team

Olive Young is the No. 1 Korean H&B channel by market share (about 65%). It runs a separate buyer team for global brands. It reviews new-product lineups by season and requires sales data. KONIVO arranges the MD meeting and prepares all documents.

  • Advance analysis of brand and product fit
  • MD meeting setup and pitch deck preparation
  • Listing-condition and margin negotiation on your behalf
  • MFDS, labeling and certification document preparation
  • Shelf placement and POP design support
Key listing requirements
MFDS cosmetics registration Korean-language label Sales history (online) At least 3–6 months of inventory
Convenience stores
CU · GS25 · 7-Eleven
Main categoriesF&B, snacks, beverages, ready meals
Listing timeline12–20 weeks
Buyer structureCentral control by head-office MD

One listing covers 50,000 stores nationwide. The largest mass exposure for a single channel. MD review criteria are demanding, and negotiating the initial volume and return terms is key. We also target seasonal MD promotions and PB collaboration opportunities.

  • Head-office MD contact and product proposal drafting
  • Initial volume, unit price and margin structure negotiation
  • Food quarantine and Food Sanitation Act labeling on your behalf
  • POS data monitoring and reorder management
  • Proposal of seasonal MD promotion participation
Key listing requirements
Food import declaration Barcode (EAN-13) Chilled vs ambient logistics split Initial order 3,000+ units
Hypermarkets
E-Mart · HomePlus · Lotte Mart
Main categoriesFood, household goods, home care
Listing timeline12–24 weeks
Buyer structureSeparate MD by category

E-Mart Traders and No Brand can be approached separately. Margin-rate negotiation is key (30–45% required). Promotion fees, listing fees and return terms are negotiated in advance. A strategy of maximizing exposure through seasonal and themed promotions.

  • Arranging MD meetings by category
  • Margin, promotion fee and listing fee negotiation on your behalf
  • Designing regular listing vs promotion strategy
  • Logistics and delivery schedule management
  • Return and settlement processing on your behalf
Key listing requirements
Business registration (entity recommended) Product certificates and test reports Logistics hub required Regular delivery capability
Department stores
Lotte · Shinsegae · Hyundai
Main categoriesBeauty, fashion, premium food
Listing timeline16–32 weeks
Buyer structureBrand team review + MD

A pop-up store → permanent store strategy is the most efficient. Brand story and heritage weigh heavily in the review. A department store listing is a decisive lever that strengthens your online premium positioning.

  • Pop-up store planning and listing application
  • Localization of the brand deck and heritage materials
  • Coordinating brand team and MD meetings
  • Store visual, POP and interior guidance
  • Permanent listing condition negotiation and contract review
Key listing requirements
Brand awareness and award history Global sales references VM (visual merchandising) guide Ability to deploy dedicated sales associates
Costco Korea
Bulk · premium bundles
Main categoriesFood, beauty, health food, home
Listing timeline16–28 weeks
Buyer structureRequires coordination with the global buyer

Membership-based customer loyalty is very high and unit volumes are large. Bundle configuration and bulk-packaging redesign are often needed. We review the US headquarters approval route and the Korean local buyer route in parallel.

  • Contacting Costco Korea buyers on your behalf
  • Coordinating bundle and bulk-packaging redesign
  • Reviewing the US headquarters approval route in parallel
  • Running roadshows and sampling events on your behalf
  • Regular delivery logistics and inventory management
Key listing requirements
Bulk packaging Stable mass-production capability Global sales track record Competitive supply pricing
Specialty retail
Daiso · specialty stores · SPA
Main categoriesHousehold goods, accessories, beauty
Listing timeline8–16 weeks
Buyer structureCentralized MD

Daiso has 1,500+ stores nationwide, and its uniform-pricing policy (₩1,000–5,000) is the key constraint. Low-priced household goods and small beauty items get a fast mass-exposure opportunity. Includes support to redesign the product lineup to fit the constraints.

  • Advisory on designing a Daiso uniform-price lineup
  • MD meetings and sample submission on your behalf
  • Tailored approach for specialty store and SPA channels
  • Support in finding B2B wholesale buyers
  • Connecting to regional distributor and dealer networks
Key listing requirements
Unit price that fits uniform pricing Small, standardized packaging Mass production possible Safety certification (KC, etc.)

How It Works

Offline listing in 4 steps

From arranging the buyer meeting to stabilizing regular delivery, KONIVO takes charge step by step.

01
Week 1–2
Channel assessment & strategy
We analyze your product category, unit price, production capacity and brand positioning to decide the optimal channel priority. Your existing online sales data is used as material for the buyer review.
Building a category × channel fit matrix
Researching the channel status of competing brands
Organizing online sales data (for buyer submission)
Confirming target channels and planning the schedule
Channel fit analysis
Listing difficultyExpected revenueRecommendation
Olive YoungMediumHigh✓ Priority 1
CU convenienceHighHigh✓ Priority 2
E-MartHighMedium→ In 3 months
02
Week 2–6
Buyer contact & meeting prep
We use KONIVO's existing buyer relationships to arrange MD contact. We prepare the brand deck, product proposal, price sheet and certification documents in Korean.
Setting the MD meeting appointment
Writing the Korean-language brand deck and product proposal
Packaging certificates, test reports and label documents
Sending samples and collecting preliminary feedback
Proposal package contents
Brand deck (Korean)
Product spec sheet
Certificate and test report package
Target supply price and margin sheet
Online sales performance data
03
Week 6–12
Listing negotiation & contract
We negotiate the margin rate, supply price, minimum order quantity, return terms and promotion-fee split. This includes contract review and legal advice.
Supply price and margin rate negotiation (face-to-face with the buyer)
Coordinating MOQ, delivery cycle and lead time
Return terms and promotion-fee split negotiation
Contract review and signing support
Example margin structure by channel
ChannelDistribution marginPromotion fee
Drug stores30–40%5–8%
Convenience stores35–45%3–5%
Hypermarkets30–45%5–10%
Department stores25–35%8–15%
04
Week 12+
Initial delivery & shelf management
We coordinate the initial delivery logistics and handle shelf placement, POP installation and sales data monitoring. We forecast reorder timing to prevent inventory gaps.
Coordinating initial delivery logistics and 3PL
Confirming shelf placement and POP material installation
Weekly monitoring of POS sales data
Reorder forecasting and delivery schedule management
Submitting a monthly channel performance report
Monthly management metrics
Weekly
POS sales
data check
Monthly
Shelf audit
& report
Quarterly
Buyer review
meeting

What's Included

What's included in the offline distribution service

Access to a buyer network
Using KONIVO's MD relationships across convenience stores, drug stores, hypermarkets and department stores, even a new brand secures buyer meetings quickly.
Listing negotiation on your behalf
We negotiate margin rate, MOQ, delivery cycle, return terms and promotion-fee split directly with the buyer. Contract review and legal advice included.
Certification & document preparation
We package the MFDS, KC and Food Sanitation Act documents, Korean-language labels and test reports required for each channel's listing. You pass the review with no missing documents.
Packaging localization advisory
We advise on packaging adjustments to meet each channel's required specs (barcode, labeling, individual wrapping). Includes bulk bundle redesign (Costco, etc.).
Delivery logistics management
Coordination of initial and regular delivery logistics and 3PL. We manage everything from channel logistics hubs and chilled/ambient split delivery to return processing.
Sales data monitoring
We check POS sales data weekly and forecast reorder timing. We proactively prevent the risk of being dropped from a channel due to an inventory gap.
In-channel promotion planning
We plan seasonal MD promotions, gift-with-purchase events, POP material production and sampling and demo events, and execute them in coordination with the channel contact.
Settlement & monthly report
We organize delivery records, settlement statements and promotion-fee deductions by channel and report them in writing every month. We also propose channel KPI trends and improvement directions.

Omnichannel Strategy

Online × offline synergy strategy

Run online and offline separately and both channels deliver half the result. KONIVO designs the two channels as a single brand journey.

Online channels
Coupang · Naver · Kakao Shopping — discovery, search, reviews
Online awareness → offline visit
→
←
Offline experience → online repurchase
Offline channels
Olive Young · hypermarkets · department stores — experience, trust, purchase
①
Offline listing = an online trust badge
We display an "Officially listed at Olive Young" badge on your Coupang and Naver stores. CTR and conversion rate rise immediately.
②
Offline QR → driving online reviews
We insert a QR code into offline packaging to prompt Naver and Coupang review writing. As review counts grow, online rankings rise.
③
Online ads generating offline traffic
We add the "listed at Olive Young" keyword to Coupang PPC and Naver search ads. After an offline listing, online ad ROI improves.
④
Inventory linkage — offline returns → online resale
We design a route to resell channel-return inventory through the online store or B2B wholesale. This minimizes inventory losses.

Plan Integration

Which plan does offline distribution start with?

Plan B
Proxy operating structure
Offline — optional add-on

In Plan B, operated under KONIVO's name, you can add offline sales. Channel engagement fee $1,000 + 3% supply commission charged separately.

  • Drug store and convenience store discussions possible
  • Delivery under KONIVO's name without an entity
  • An entity is recommended for department stores and Costco
See Plan B in detail →
Plan C
Korea branch
Offline — optional add-on

You sign contracts with channels directly under the branch's name. An offline sales engagement fee of $1,000 per channel applies on top.

  • Buyer contracts under the branch's name
  • Department store and Costco listings possible
  • Engagement fee is separate per channel
See Plan C in detail →
Plan D Recommended
Limited liability company
Offline — included by default ✓

Sales into every offline channel is included by default in the monthly fee. No separate engagement fee, placement success fee or shelf management fee.

  • Offline sales across all channels included by default
  • Direct buyer contracts under the entity's name
  • Costco and department store listings actively pursued
See Plan D in detail →

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can we get listed offline without an entity?
Under the Plan B (proxy operation) structure, delivery under KONIVO's name is possible. However, department stores, Costco and some hypermarkets prefer contracts under an entity's name. Proceeding after establishing an entity (Plan C/D) opens up more channels.
What takes the longest in getting listed at Olive Young?
MFDS cosmetics registration and waiting for the MD review take the longest. MFDS registration takes 2–6 weeks, and the MD review can add 1–3 months depending on the lineup season. KONIVO runs the MFDS registration in parallel to shorten the total timeline.
What is the minimum order quantity (MOQ) for a convenience store listing?
It varies by channel and category, but an initial convenience store listing generally starts at 30–50% of the nationwide store count. For CU, roughly 3,000–8,000 units is the starting point for initial volume negotiation. A strategy of running a region-limited test first and then expanding is also possible.
Can a product be dropped from the shelf after listing?
Yes. Based on POS sales data, if performance falls below a certain threshold, the MD does not renew the contract or reduces the shelf space. KONIVO monitors weekly POS data and proactively adjusts promotion events and reorder timing to minimize the risk of being dropped.
Does a Costco Korea listing have to go through US headquarters?
Not necessarily. We review the Costco Korea local buyer route and the US headquarters approval route in parallel. Depending on the category and brand scale, negotiation via the local route is also possible. However, Costco requires competitive unit pricing, bulk packaging and a stable mass-production capability.
How much does the offline distribution service cost?
In Plan B, a channel engagement fee of $1,000/channel + a listing success fee of $500/channel + a 3% supply commission apply. In Plan D (limited liability company), offline sales is included by default in the monthly fee. We provide an exact quote when you request a consultation.

Start with an assessment
of your offline listing potential

We analyze your product category, unit price and production capacity and provide the optimal channels and an expected timeline in writing within 3 business days.

Request an offline assessment (free) Plan D — see entity establishment