Chinese Tourists Line Up for Luxury Bargains as Won Weakens
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
In Seoul, long pre-opening lines formed outside luxury stores like Louis Vuitton and Cartier as foreign tourists—many Chinese—braved freezing weather to buy high-end goods. The weak South Korean won and tax-free (tax refund) benefits have boosted foreign purchasing power, making some luxury items 5–11% cheaper in Korea compared with China. Major department stores reported large increases in foreign sales last year (e.g., Shinsegae up 82% at its main store). With the won still about 100 won weaker than its 2025 low and recent yuan gains, China visitors find Korean luxury shopping especially attractive and sometimes queue for hours to save hundreds of thousands of won (tens of thousands of Korean won).
