Produced bySteven Bammel and hosted by Tom Tucker.

August 9, 2011The Korea Business Interview Series

Tom Brown
"Homeplus: Tesco’s Success Story on Entering the Korean Market"

Tom Brown is Site Research Director at Homeplus Korea, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tesco of the UK.

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Tesco’s entry into the Korean market contains valuable lessons for anyone doing or wishing to do business in Korea. While other foreign brands like Wal-Mart and Carrefour have failed, Tesco’s Korean brand, Homeplus, is moving from strength to strength as it closes the gap with the market leader, E-mart.

This interview covers many fascinating aspects of the Homeplus story in Korea. From its early partnership with Samsung, to an extraordinary level of office culture localization, as well as matching uniqueness of the Korean consumer market, Tesco and Homeplus have achieved an amazing success.

Tom Brown has been with Tesco in Asia during this time, both in Korea and China, leading the company’s efforts to locate new stores. His insider perspective leaves us with many valuable insights about business in Korea (and even a little about business in China!).

This interview is a “must-listen” for anyone with an interest in business in Korea.

Original Post, Transcript, & Discussion
can be found on Korea Business Central