L6 Student Takara's Growing Business

Lower Sixth student Takara Hodson launched KCore in May 2024. KCore imports and retails official Korean pop culture merchandise to the UK. Products include:

• Music albums (CD’s)
• Fan-made merchandise created in the UK (Beanies, T Shirts, notebooks & blankets)
• Key rings, cup sleeves
• Light sticks
• Phone charms
• Photo cards

Takara is a sole trader, operating from her home alongside her Biology, Chemistry and Geography A-levels. She has been operating for nearly 12 months, and in that time she has grown her business through sales from events and her online store as well as collaborations with Laytea, Mr Tea, Life4Cuts & O!Moru Garden. In that time, KCore has established itself as leading supplier of K-Pop and South Korean cultural merchandise.

The ND Enterprise Hub enrichment group has been helping Takara with her business since October 2024, providing her with commercial advice, business reporting, and support and encourage to scale up her operations. The ND Enterprise Hub, which is run by Mr Corcoran and Mr Dennis, takes place every Monday lunchtime in C52 and welcomes student entrepreneurs from all industries.

Takara commented on her business, 'K-Pop has influenced my life since I was 8 years old. I'm passionate about the music and dance scene and love how KCore brings people together in this community. I've made lots of new friends through running my business.'

Mission Statement

KCore’s mission is to provide fans of all things K-Pop with affordable and quality merchandise that would otherwise be unavailable to purchase in Leeds and West Yorkshire. In addition to this, KCore wants to be at the centre of the fandom and bring together the community of like-minded fans to share their love of all things K-Pop.

Business Objectives

• Expand local and online customer base
• Expand the range of merchandise
• Build strong relationships with partners and fans
• Grow social media presence to be a market leader K-Pop store

Business History

KCore started in April 2024 by importing albums from Korea to retail in its online store. Within 4 months, KCore had expanded from e-commerce into event hosting with physical shop locations such as Mr Tea and LayTea in Leeds. As the online business has grown, further collaborations with Life4Cuts, Leeds and Oh! Moru Garden (OMG) have helped to improve KCore’s presence and branding in the West Yorkshire K-Pop cultural scene. Product range has expanded into KCore branded merchandise including cup sleeves, clothing and accessories which are hand crafted in the UK. In 12 months, KCore’s turnover has risen to just over £600 per month, averaging a profit margin of 60-70%. Kcore has established strong relationships with loyal fans and is poised to scale up considerably over the second year of its operations by boosting its social media influence, specifically with collaboration with Yuna and Ash on TikTok.

Events

The most recent pop-up event took place on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd March – held in Mr Tea Bubble Tea Café on Albion Place. £1,300 revenue was generated from sales of K-pop album sales (imported from Korea) and a wide variety of merchandise on that weekend alone. These pop-up events bring together lovers of K-pop who socialise, play games and discuss the latest comebacks in the industry. The events are vibrant, colourful and inclusive. Confirmed further events taking place on May 10th & 11th, also at Mr Tea's. Keep your eyes peeled for further events over the summer!

Everyone here at Notre Dame is confident that Takara has all the ingredients in place to be successful in her business goals, and we wish her every bit of luck!

You can support Takara and follow KCore on her socials (Instagram, TikTok and Facebook) @kcorestores, or head over to www.kcore.store for online purchases.