Department Stores Double Down on K-Fashion to Attract MZ and Foreign Shoppers
Creatrip Team
20 days ago
Korean department stores are expanding young fashion (K-fashion) offerings and experiential pop-ups to attract MZ generation shoppers and foreign tourists. Lotte Department Store’s K-fashion zone “Kinetic Ground” boosted young-fashion sales by 130% and foreign sales by 440% in a year, with foreigners accounting for 70% of that zone’s sales. The space gathers about 15 K-fashion brands and a pop-up “Kinetic Stage” to combine shopping and experiences; about 70% of visitors were aged 20–30 and many bought across other departments. Other chains are following suit: Shinsegae increased women’s and new contemporary fashion traffic and sales by over 20% and expanded proven brands to regional stores; Hyundai Department Store opened an experiential themed Jellycat store (soft-toy brand) with exclusive characters and cafe collaboration; Galleria replaced part of a luxury shoe floor with high-end designer edit shops like Musinsa Empty and Ader Error to attract younger and foreign customers. Industry insiders say K-fashion and pop-up content draw both domestic young shoppers and inbound tourists, encouraging departments to keep investing in brand recruitment and experiential formats.
