South Korean online flea and secondhand marketplace Karrot Market has launched its beta service in Manhattan, New York.
With over 10 million monthly users in South Korea, the mobile-only platform aims to compete with major online marketplaces like eBay and Etsy.
In an interview with Forbes Korea, Danggeun Market co-CEO and co-founder Gary Kim discussed the company's plans to accelerate its expansion into other countries.
The push for global expansion was further motivated by the discovery that Get It, an app from Line Plus Corporation, had copied Danggeun Market's service.
Karrot Market began its overseas operations in the UK last November and has since attracted an average of 80,000 monthly users in Manchester, Southampton, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Sheffield.
The company also launched in Canada in September.
Karrot Market adapted its category, classification algorithm, and user experience for the UK, Canadian, and US markets to serve markets with lower population densities than South Korea.
According to data from Incross, the platform stands out for its community feature, which contributes to its long session times among eCommerce applications.
Karrot Market's USP focuses on community-based buying and selling, with users setting up local meetings to exchange goods.
The app has received positive reviews, with an average rating of 4.5 on both Google Play and the App Store.
Karrot Market has established an international team in addition to its business, service, infrastructure, and marketing teams as part of its global expansion strategy.
How the South Korean business model will fare in Western markets remains to be seen.
