DDP Cultural Events Boost Dongdaemun Sales by 10.8%
Creatrip Team
a month ago
Seoul AI Foundation analysis finds seven cultural events at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) drove not just visitor increases but broader spending in the surrounding Dongdaemun commercial area. Combining mobile population, card sales, DDP visitor stats and spatial data, researchers compared before-during-after periods for events including Seoul Light DDP (autumn/winter), Seoul Fashion Week (S/S, F/W), Seoul Design Week, Seoul Beauty Week and the DDP Spring Festival. On average, DDP-area sales rose 12.2% and Dongdaemun-area sales rose 10.8% during event periods. For example, Seoul Fashion Week (S/S) saw the DDP core population up 20.3% and Dongdaemun up 15.3%, with sales up 22.3% at DDP and 6.8% in Dongdaemun. Seoul Beauty Week increased nearby population by 25.1% at the DDP core and 10.8% in Dongdaemun, and boosted Dongdaemun sales by 33.0%. The DDP Spring Festival notably raised foreign visitor spending around DDP by 21.7% and in Dongdaemun by 22.8%, suggesting tourists moved outward to shop. Opened in 2014, DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza) has over 120 million cumulative visitors and high facility usage; the foundation says its data-driven reports will help design policies and operations. (DDP: Dongdaemun Design Plaza; Dongdaemun: a major Seoul shopping and textile district)
