Mizuno's Korea Market E-Commerce Expansion and Optimization

1.  INTRODUCTION

Mizuno is one of the world's longest established suppliers of sporting goods. Once associated only with golf and baseball, Mizuno is now renowned worldwide in a variety of sports and recreational activities. With a strong global presence, the company has business operations across Europe, Asia, Oceania, North America, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. 

To expand its brand globally and succeed in diverse markets, Mizuno aimed to develop a robust e-commerce system through comprehensive Salesforce Commerce Cloud (SFCC) implementations. This solution ensured localized operations while integrating complex systems tailored to each market’s unique needs. 

 

2. CLIENT CHALLENGES

The project focused on building new SFCC sites in Korea to support Mizuno’s global market growth strategy. Here are some challenges for developing Mizuno’s SFCC Site for Korea:

• Adapting Consumer Expectations: Korean users demand fast, mobile-first, and intuitive e-commerce experiences with local payment methods (example: KakaoPay, Naver Pay).
• Ensuring Robust Data Privacy Compliance: Comply meticulously with Korea’s stringent Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), implementing secure data handling and user consent processes to build trust and avoid legal risks. 
• Streamlining Seamless System Integration: Connect the SFCC platform efficiently with Korea-specific payment gateways, logistics providers, and inventory systems to ensure smooth, real-time operations.
• Competing in a Crowded Market: How to stand out against giants like Coupang, Naver with unique branding and targeted marketing. 
• Crafting Authentic Localization: Tailor content, visuals, and campaigns to resonate with Korean cultural nuances and consumer preferences, ensuring a localized yet brand-consistent experience.

3. OUR SOLUTIONS

To support Mizuno’s global market growth strategy through a new Salesforce Commerce Cloud (SFCC) site in Korea, KIMEI Global proposed solutions effectively addressing key challenges below:

• Delivering Superior User Experience

• UI/UX improvement: Enhancing the user interface and experience ensures a responsive, visually appealing, and intuitive platform, aligning with Korean consumers’ demand for seamless navigation and mobile optimization.
• Integrated Payment Gateway: KG Allat Pay, Naver Pay: Incorporating popular Korean payment methods like KG Allat Pay and Naver Pay simplifies transactions, meeting local expectations for convenience and trust. Offering region-specific payment options aligns with local consumer behavior.

• Ensuring Strict Data Compliance: Perform user authentication with NICE iPIN (NICE Internet Personal Identification Number) during registration.

• Streamlining System Integration: Link the information and status of the Order/Stock to the third party such as OMS, WMS, S3.

• Boosting Market Presence via Social Media and Loyalty Programs: 

• Linking with Social Media (Facebook, Instagram): Integrates platforms for targeted marketing, boosting brand visibility among Korea’s active social media users.
• Link with Kakao Message to development features: Order status notification, Marketing Message, Notification Message: Kakao Message delivers localized, real-time communication tailored to Korean users.

• ARCHITECTURE

• PROJECT SCOPE

  This structured approach ensures the delivery of a robust, localized SFCC site within 4.5 months, positioning Mizuno for success in Korea’s competitive e-commerce market.

  Team Composition:

  • 1 Project Leader: Oversees strategy, coordination, and project execution.
  • 2 Developers: Handle SFCC development, integrations, and technical implementation.
  • 1 UI/UX Designer: Designs a user-centric, visually appealing interface.
  • QC Service: Ensures quality through comprehensive testing and validation.

  Timeline:

  • Development Phase: 3 months for building and integrating all features.
  • Testing and UAT Phase: 1.5 months for quality assurance, testing, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).  

KEY INTEGRATIONS

• SCS, OMS, WMS & S3 for order processing, inventory management, and storage.
• Payment gateway APIs for secure transaction handling across multiple payment methods with KG @All Pay, Naver Pay
• Integrate Nice iPin during registration
• Boost loyalty programs through Kakao Message 

4. RESULT

Mizuno’s successful entry into South Korea’s e-commerce market highlights the importance of strategic IT outsourcing, compliance-focused data management, and robust localization solutions. 

With KIMEI Global' s expertise, we not only met regulatory requirements but also delivered a seamless and localized shopping experience that fostered long-term customer engagement and business growth.