YouTube is expanding its presence beyond a simple video platform into a shopping platform. By rapidly increasing the number of affiliate partners that can sell products within YouTube, it reported a fivefold increase in transaction volume in Korea over the past year.
According to industry sources on Sunday, YouTube has set its shopping business as a key priority this year and is focusing heavily on expanding its commerce ecosystem.
The most notable move is the rapid increase in shopping partners. Last month, YouTube added AliExpress, a Chinese cross-border e-commerce platform, as a shopping affiliate. This allows YouTube creators to tag and link AliExpress products in their videos and earn commissions.
YouTube’s shopping partners range from platforms like Coupang, Olive Young, and Zigzag to beauty and fashion brands. Expansion has accelerated, with companies like Kurly joining in November 2025, followed by CJ OnStyle in December.
According to data from Mirae Asset Securities Co., YouTube’s domestic shopping transaction volume grew from 100 billion won ($66.2 million) in 2024 to 500 billion won last year, and is expected to reach 1.4 trillion won this year.
The platform uses three primary sales models: Direct links to brand-owned stores such as Musinsa, creator-led affiliate tagging, and specialized store-building for small- to medium-sized vendors.
“Commerce companies are paying attention because YouTube enables everything from product discovery through video content to moving to a purchase site in one seamless flow,” said an industry official.
According to YouTube, viewing time for shopping-related content in Korea increased by more than 300 percent last year compared to a year ago.
The research firm Ipsos reported that 73 percent of Korean viewers obtain information that helps them make purchasing decisions through YouTube.
To increase the supply of shopping content, YouTube is lowering the barriers for creator participation.
On March 30, it eased the eligibility for the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program to creators with at least 500 subscribers. When it first launched in June 2024, the requirement was 10,000 subscribers.
YouTube plans to focus on improving shopping efficiency through AI technology. Key initiatives include shopping automation, where AI automatically recognizes products in videos and tags them, and precision targeting systems that analyze individual shopping preferences to place high-probability purchase content in Shorts feeds.
YouTube also plans to expand in-app payment features to create a seamless, one-stop user experience – from product discovery to payment – within the platform.
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