Musinsa's private label Musinsa Standard has been shown, based on consumer behaviour data, to boost sales of brands sold on the platform. A research team led by Associate Professor Yoo-seok Lee (이유석) of Dongguk University's business department and Assistant Professor Jong-dae Kim (김종대) of Chonnam National University's business school released the results of a joint study on June 18 after analysing individual consumers' basket and purchase history data.

The study found that as the number and value of cumulative Musinsa Standard purchases increased, the likelihood and spending share of buying seller brands in the next transaction rose significantly. The transfer effect, in which private-label purchase experience leads to purchases of seller brands, was confirmed using individual-level data. The research follows a study of macro-level correlations presented at the Korean Distribution Association's 2024 fall academic conference and deepens the scope to the individual consumer level.

A similar result emerged from an analysis of simultaneous purchase patterns. More than 95 percent of the apparel brands most frequently bought together with Musinsa Standard were seller brands in basic and SPA styles. The data showed consumers tend to freely mix and match private-label and seller-brand products depending on style. It also showed private-label products are consumed alongside existing seller brands rather than replacing them.

Lee said the significance was that while the 2024 study was based on macro-level transaction value data, this study demonstrated the positive transfer effect of private labels through micro-level behavioural data at the individual consumer level. He added that what matters is not blocking private-label operations themselves, but how a platform designs and assigns a "catalyst role" that naturally links the interest and demand of customers attracted through private labels to sales of other seller brands.

The study was conducted as part of the "2025 Musinsa-Dongguk University industry-academic cooperation research" programme. Musinsa provided only the data, and the research team independently carried out the study and analysis, the company said.