Shopin CEO Eran Eyal: Reflections on the World’s Greatest Retail Hub and Korea’s Pro-User Data Laws

Proving once again that Seoul, Korea is one of the most important and influential retail and tech centers of the world, Shopin CEO and Founder, Eran Eyal, recently returned from attending Korea Blockchain Week, Beyond Blocks Summit, and conducting a series of meetings with some of the most powerful and significant retail and technology companies embracing blockchain technology and Artificial Intelligence as beacons of the future.

Describing Seoul, the capital and historical center of South Korea, as a hot-bed for emerging tech advancement and cryptocurrency, Eran confirmed Shopin’s deep ties to the city, which was previously called Hanyang and Gyeongseongbu and then renamed Seoul in 1945 when it was freed from Japanese occupation.

“It’s amazing to me that we still think of New York as the center of the world in terms of retail,” Eran said, reflecting on his journey. “For example, we have two Chanel stores in Manhattan compared to 11 flagship Chanel stores in Korea. It’s the perfect place for Shopin to be.”

In addition to understanding the complexity of Korea’s data laws, which were early attempts at controlling the widespread use and exploitation of personal data — a harbinger of Shopin’s core commitment to empower users with the ownership and control of their own data — Eran met with some of the top crypto exchanges and potential retail partner MCM, one of the largest global luxury goods brands.

“We’re really just trying to help the brands and retailers do something really simple, which is to get to know their users better in order to offer them a more personalized experience, and as a result increase revenue,” Eran said. “We aim to help retailers reward their users and empower them with their own data, and retailers like MCM have been very receptive to the Shopin business model. They understand that Amazon is eating the world. They understand the challenges and benefits of GDPR. When we meet with these fantastic potential partners, we basically say let’s co-create together.”

Team Korea

During his week-long visit, Eran also spent valuable time with Shopin’s Korea team, handpicked for their combined retail, financial, and cryptocurrency expertise.

Heather joins Shopin with more than a decade of experience in the financial and business development sectors starting with a decade at Merrill Lynch, and then as VP at HSBC before becoming a lead BD executive at Daewoo Securities. She then struck out to become a successful entrepreneur where she leverages her years of experience and powerful corporate connections in the region.

Eugene is a former partner of investor George Soros and the owner of private equity firm Eos Partners. Fun fact: Jeff Bezos once approached him to head up Amazon Korea.

Pierre is an importer of luxury products in Korea with deep relationships throughout the region and decades of entrepreneurial and business development experience.

Eran in Buk-han-san, Korea with Eugene and Pierre

Meanwhile, the team back in New York made major inroads with the Shopin Token Swap and partnership developments with some of the world’s largest brands, two large retail brands in the UAE, and the continued support and partnership of Marvin Traub Associates and their far-reaching retail and business connections all over the world.

“We have so many incredible supporters and partners helping us get the word out about Shopin,” said Eran. “They are helping us build a business and an ecosystem that we can’t do alone, and we are truly grateful and humbled for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the world together. These partnerships allow us to accelerate our time-to-market through trusted relationships and synergy, turning 9–12 month processes into 2–3 months.”

Stay in touch with us as we continue our exciting journey! We wouldn’t be here without our incredibly supportive, inquisitive, and amazing community of crypto, tech, and retail fans. You can follow our news and the Shopin conversation through our Telegram group or Telegram channel, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Reddit, Steemit, and YouTube.