How Qoo10 ensured system stability & increased sales by 30% during Megawari
Qoo10’s quarterly “Megawari” shopping event attracts hundreds of thousands of eager young consumers. But their infrastructure struggled to handle the demand, leading to slowdowns and outages that threatened brand trust. Discover how Qoo10 partnered with Queue-it to deliver a fully operational site, a 30% increase in sales from the previous quarter’s sale, and greater customer satisfaction.
Qoo10, an international ecommerce platform, is one of Japan’s fastest-growing online marketplaces. Known for its strong appeal among young female shoppers, Qoo10 offers an extensive selection of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle products. Every quarter, Qoo10 hosts its biggest sales event, Megawari—a shopping spree that not only drives significant revenue but also puts Qoo10’s infrastructure to the ultimate test.
But as Megawari's popularity soared, so did the operational challenges.
“Every Megawari campaign brings in hundreds of thousands of shoppers within minutes at peak times,” says YoungMin In, Team Leader at Qoo10. “It’s great for business, but a nightmare for operations if we’re not prepared.”
Qoo10’s development team initially built an in-house queuing solution tailored to their existing tech stack to handle these surges. But as traffic volumes continued to climb, even this in-house setup struggled to keep pace.
“We optimized our infrastructure as much as possible, but beyond a certain point, it’s just not viable to overbuild for a peak that lasts just a few hours,” says In. “We also tried to solve it with autoscaling, but there is always a lag. Even just a few minutes is enough for traffic spikes to overwhelm the system.”
During peak Megawari campaigns, customers faced slowdowns, incomplete checkouts, and at times, outright outages. Complaints flooded social media and customer support channels, jeopardizing both revenue and reputation. “We needed a smarter, more reliable way to manage traffic surges and deliver a seamless user experience,” says In.
After evaluating several options with Akamai, Qoo10 chose to use Queue-it’s virtual waiting room to safeguard their Q4 2024 Megawari event. For In, Queue-it’s track record in successfully supporting world-class retailers, proven expertise in managing high-demand traffic, transparent and branded visitor experience, and dedicated local support in Korean were the key factors for the decision.
The Q4 2024 Megawari campaign attracted a record number of shoppers, fueled by an enhanced social media strategy. But this time, Qoo10 was ready.
“We went from firefighting to full control,” says In. “At one point, we had 700,000 users per minute. But Queue-it allowed us to offload the traffic and throttle them back at a speed that our system can handle. Thanks to that, the site stayed stable throughout the sale.”
Real-time traffic insights allowed the team to monitor system performance and adjust user flow as needed. “We could dial up or down the user throughput based on backend load in real time,” explains In. “That flexibility was critical for staying in control.”
Thanks to the broader reach from successful promotions—and Queue-it’s robust traffic management—sales increased by 30% compared to the previous quarter’s Megawari event.
Beyond the immediate commercial success, Queue-it’s virtual waiting room also gave Qoo10 a new way to strengthen their brand image.
“The branded waiting room didn’t just control the traffic. It became part of the Megawari experience,” says In. “We used it to communicate offers, engage customers, and keep them informed. It felt like an extension of the sale, not an interruption.”
Qoo10's Queue page of Megawari sale
With Queue-it’s virtual waiting room, incoming visitors were managed with a branded pre-queue and queue page that maintained a smooth, on-brand experience. The transparent experience resonated with customers, with social media buzz turning positive as shoppers shared their satisfaction.
“The success of this event wasn’t just measured in numbers. It was about the confidence it gave our team. We stopped worrying about technical failures and focused on delivering a great experience.”
YoungMin In, Team Leader
Following the success of their Q4 sale with Queue-it, Qoo10 is already planning to use the virtual waiting room for future events and flash sales. They’re also expanding its use as a traffic management and communication tool, not just a safeguard.
“Queue-it has become part of our Megawari playbook,” says In. “It gives us control, protects the brand, and ultimately delivers a better customer journey. That’s a win across the board.”