[Edaily Reporter Lee So-Hyun ] It has been revealed that Naver’s (NAVER(035420)) Smart Store has evolved over the past decade from a platform that initially supported online entrepreneurship into one that provides infrastructure tailored to each stage of a seller’s growth—spanning finance, data, logistics, and artificial intelligence (AI). The support needed varies depending on the business stage: early-stage sellers prioritize financial support such as low commission rates and fast settlements, while more mature sellers place greater importance on marketing and expanding sales channels.

Naver announced on the 30th that it had published the “D-Commerce Report 2026: SmartStore 10-Year Evolution Path Report,” a joint study conducted by research teams led by Professor Yoo Byung-jun of Seoul National University and Professor Choi Bo-reum of Yonsei University.

Noting that sellers face different barriers at each stage of growth, the research team analyzed how SmartStore has expanded its seller support system over the past decade—from digital transformation (DX) to AI transformation (AX).

From

Free Stores and Fast AI-Powered Invoicing to Logistics

SmartStore has expanded its support measures for each growth stage based on a “seller-led” model in which sellers directly manage their businesses.

For early-stage online entrepreneurs, the focus was on lowering barriers to entry and alleviating financial burdens. In 2018, “Free SmartStore” was introduced, and in 2020, the “Fast Settlement Service” was launched to allow sellers to receive payment quickly.

For sellers entering the growth stage, the company expanded its support to include content, data, and logistics to help them acquire new customers and fulfill orders. Shopping Live was introduced in 2020, logistics solutions in 2022, and various commerce solutions in 2023.

As the e-commerce market has matured and the use of AI has expanded, the company has recently been focusing on retaining repeat customers and strengthening its delivery competitiveness.

In 2024, the company launched “Naver Plus Store,” which incorporates personalization technology and AI recommendations, and has also enhanced its logistics infrastructure and N Delivery to support sellers’ delivery competitiveness.

Support Needs Vary by Growth Stage

The reasons sellers choose Smart Store also varied depending on their growth stage.

According to the survey, 50.6% of sellers in the entry stage and 53.2% of those in the growth stage cited “financial support”—such as low commission rates and fast payouts—as their primary reason for operating a Smart Store.

In contrast, 48.3% of sellers in the maturity stage cited “business support”—such as marketing exposure and market expansion—which was higher than the 40.0% who cited financial support.

The research team analyzed that Smart Store has served as a “growth ladder,” providing the infrastructure sellers need at each stage—from the entry stage through the growth stage to the maturity stage.

CRM Use Boosts Store Sales by Up to 9.6%

With the advent of the AX era, sellers have also begun to see benefits from combining and utilizing various solutions.

In the case of “Seller Coupon,” a customer relationship management (CRM) solution designed to help manage regular customers, the survey found that the sales improvement effect lasted for about three months after its implementation.

Additionally, stores that accumulated more than twice as many “one-month-use reviews” compared to the initial period saw sales increase by up to 9.6%.

Professor Yoo Byung-jun of Seoul National University stated, “Over the past decade, Naver has developed its technological infrastructure to enable sellers to grow their businesses without losing competitiveness in a rapidly changing market environment,” adding, “I expect sellers facing the AX transition to be able to grow their businesses on this evolved growth infrastructure.”

Professor Choi Bo-reum of Yonsei University remarked, “SmartStore’s establishment of its identity as a seller-driven platform and the creation of an ecosystem integrating search, payment, data, logistics, and finance are the result of reflecting sellers’ growth stages and challenges,” adding, “SmartStore’s evolution is an example of a platform serving as a growth ladder for sellers.”