Naver Brand Connect Launches Beta for Smart Store's 'Group Purchase' Feature

Naver has introduced a group purchase feature to its platform connecting creators and sellers, expanding its partnership model. Naver has beta-launched a 'group purchase' partnership feature exclusively for smart store sellers on its creator partnership business platform, 'Brand Connect.' Brand Connect, launched in 2021, is a solution that connects creators active on Naver with sellers like smart stores and brand stores. Previously, it offered partnerships for branded content creation and a partnership marketing model called 'Shopping Connect,' and this update adds the group purchase feature. The newly introduced group purchase feature is characterized by the ability to manage the entire process—from collaboration proposals to conditions negotiation, product registration, performance aggregation, and settlement—within the platform. Traditionally, communication and manual settlement processes, which were conducted individually via email or social media, have been systematized to enhance operational efficiency. Smart store sellers can receive recommendations for creators whose product categories and activity topics align with theirs. Additionally, even for the same product, sellers can set different detailed conditions such as exclusive discounts, commission rates, and sales periods for each creator, with costs like commissions and advertising fees automatically processed within the platform. Convenience features for creators have also been enhanced. A dashboard that links in real-time with smart store order data is provided, allowing creators to immediately check their sales performance and expected earnings. This enables them to monitor sales trends by time and popular options, allowing them to establish effective promotion strategies. Kim Seon-Min, the planning leader of Naver Brand Connect, stated, “In 2025, creator earnings through Brand Connect increased by 141% compared to the previous year,” and added, “We will support collaboration between sellers and creators through the group purchase feature and continue to enhance the functionality.”