KT Alpha has announced its transformation into a “Connected Commerce” company, positioning artificial intelligence (AI) as the core infrastructure that links all of its business capabilities. The company aims to overcome the structural limitations of T-commerce and evolve into a comprehensive commerce platform spanning mobile and business-to-business (B2B) services.
At its SHIFT 2026 management strategy briefing held at its headquarters in Seoul on July 8, KT Alpha unveiled its new vision of becoming a “Connected Commerce Company.” The strategy focuses on connecting customers, products, content, data, sales channels, and business partners through a single platform to deliver differentiated shopping experiences and sustainable growth.
“With the rise of AI, technical intelligence is no longer a competitive advantage--it has become a basic capability,” said KT Alpha CEO Park Jung-min. “Going forward, competitiveness will depend on how effectively companies connect customers and products, TV and mobile, and data and AI.”
KT Alpha plans to use AI to overcome the limitations of traditional T-commerce, which is largely based on pre-recorded broadcasts. The company will introduce a “Live-like” service that analyzes sales and inventory data in real time to provide AI-generated voice announcements and captions on information such as low stock and imminent sellouts. The service is designed to recreate a live shopping experience within recorded broadcasts, narrowing the gap with conventional TV home shopping.
The company also plans to reduce its reliance on price-competitive general merchandise while expanding exclusive products, specially curated offerings, and private-label (PB) brands available only through KT Alpha Shopping.
Expanding its mobile business is another key priority. Leveraging its Giftishow mobile gift certificate service, KT Alpha aims to strengthen its customer base among consumers in their 30s and 40s while encouraging older TV shopping customers to transition naturally to mobile shopping. Its initial goal is to raise the share of mobile sales to around 50% of total revenue.
KT Alpha will also expand its Giftishow business with a stronger focus on the business-to-business (B2B) market. In the second half of next year, the company plans to launch an integrated gift certificate that allows customers to choose from multiple brands using a single voucher. It will also enhance corporate services through Giftishow Pro and customized digital message cards, positioning Giftishow as a comprehensive mobile coupon platform.
The company also plans to deepen synergies across the KT Group by supplying commerce content to affiliate services such as KT Membership, Genie TV, and K Bank. It is also considering replacing paper gift certificates used for promotional giveaways across KT's businesses with Giftishow digital vouchers.
“We will build a Connected Commerce ecosystem that links all of the company's capabilities,” CEO Park Jung-min said. “Our goal is to become a sustainable company that creates growth for customers, business partners, and shareholders alike.”
KT Alpha CEO “Data Connectivity Is the Key... Targets Record Performance Next Year”
“AI technology alone is no longer enough to create differentiation. What matters is how effectively we connect our assets--in other words, connection.”
KT Alpha CEO Park Jung-min identified connectivity as the defining competitive advantage in the AI era. In the past, integrating and analyzing data from different sources required significant time and cost. With AI agents, however, standardized data can now be automatically connected and utilized, making AI a key enabler of next-generation T-commerce, he said.
“T-commerce, which relies on pre-recorded broadcasts, has inherent limitations because it cannot interact with customers in real time,” Park said. “If AI analyzes sales and inventory data and instantly notifies customers that products are nearly sold out, it can deliver a shopping experience much closer to a live broadcast.”
This year, KT Alpha will focus on strengthening its foundations for future growth through AI-driven business innovation and data standardization. Building on those efforts, the company aims to achieve its strongest financial performance ever next year.
“We will create a business model that grows together with our partners while increasing both gross merchandise value and profitability,” Park said. “By expanding exclusive and differentiated products, we aim to achieve both top-line growth and stronger earnings.”
