Seoul
English, Korean
Soomin works as a Research Analyst in Euromonitor's Seoul office, across a diverse range of industries.
Soomin's primary research focus is service and payments and retail industries in South Korea. Her research perspective is positively informed based on experiences living in both South Korea and the US. In her prior role, Soomin worked as a business development consultant at KOTRA's Chicago office. During that time, she gained research and marketing experience of the US, over multiple industries, including fmcg, automotive and other manufacturing industries.
The post-pandemic price spikes have eased across much of Latin America, but 2026 is no clean recovery: inflation has settled near 4% and prices keep rising. Years of stacked increases have changed how people shop. This is inflation fatigue – consumers are not just spending less, they have become tactical, and the winners will adapt to it.
One in two consumers globally are using ChatGPT to search for products in 2026. Nearly four in five say AI has introduced them to a brand they hadn't considered before. And yet, we ask a shopper in Shanghai and a shopper in Seattle how they use generative AI to buy things, and there are two different stories that barely resemble each other.
AI is becoming retail’s new front door, transforming how consumers discover, evaluate and choose products. Now, retailers and brands face a critical question: can AI move beyond discovery and start rewiring the rest of the shopper journey?
