– Small-scale sellers see a 16.5% increase in sales when applying AI-based recommendation services.
The Platform SME Research Center of Kookmin University (hereinafter referred to as the Research Center) published a report titled “ The Impact of AI Advancement in Commerce Platforms on the Performance of Digital Merchants” (hereinafter referred to as the Report).
This report empirically examines the impact of AI-based services (hereinafter referred to as AI services) on commerce platforms on the growth of digital merchants. This report focuses on Naver's "AI Shopping Guide." AI Shopping Guide is an AI feature embedded in Naver Plus Store, a dedicated shopping app for Naver. It utilizes Naver's AI technology to support customers' product search, comparison, and purchasing decisions.
This study, conducted by a research team led by Professor Tae-kyung Kim of Kyung Hee University, an expert in big data analysis, aimed to determine the impact of AI shopping guides on the growth of digital merchants.
The study analyzed approximately 44.67 million transaction data from 8,149 smart stores selling digital products over a period of approximately one year, from June 2024 to June 2025. For the analysis, smart stores were categorized by size based on grade and sales volume. Large stores were found to primarily carry high-priced electronics, while small and medium-sized stores primarily carry a variety of low-priced products.
Analysis results show that the adoption of AI services leads to overall performance gains for digital merchants. Specifically, smaller digital merchants experienced higher sales and revenue growth rates. Excluding the impact of the economic downturn, the analysis found that sales increased by 16.5% for small businesses, 10.2% for medium-sized businesses, and 6.7% for large businesses. Sales volume also increased by 35.9% for small businesses, 11.4% for medium-sized businesses, and 5.7% for large businesses.
The report emphasized the need for a collaborative structure between platform companies and digital merchants to ensure the continued effectiveness of AI services.
Kim Do-hyun, director of the research center, said, “This study confirmed that AI services can contribute to the growth of digital merchants beyond improving consumer convenience,” and added, “To maximize the effectiveness of AI utilization, we need to establish a new cooperative structure that allows platforms and digital merchants to grow together.”
For more information, please visit the Platform SME Research Center website.
The Platform SME Research Center at Kookmin University is a research institute established to support the growth of digital merchants and foster a healthy platform ecosystem. It conducts data analysis, policy recommendations, research, and educational programs for digital merchants.
Meanwhile, the Research Center conducted practical training on generative AI last year and confirmed cases where businesses achieved results such as improved work efficiency and cost reduction. The center plans to expand generative AI training to further strengthen field application capabilities. Furthermore, through training and networking events, the center will promote exchange and cooperation among digital businesspeople and continue to provide comprehensive support to help them adapt to the rapidly changing platform environment.
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