Lotte Duty Free has opened a series of pop-up stores as it continues to target millennial and Gen Z, or MZ consumers. The leading travel retailer’s move is a response to evolving tourism and consumption trends among the younger generation of shoppers, with a focus on experiential content.
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Lotte Duty Free has introduced an array of retail experiences by installing these retail spaces based on its product sourcing capabilities and brand collaboration experience.
These shopping experiences include a brand showroom and a pop-up store at the LDF House – South Korea’s first experiential stand-alone building set over three floors and a rooftop at the retailer’s flagship store in Myeong-dong. The showroom is open until 31 January 2024.
On the first floor, the retailer set up a showroom featuring Zanmang Loopy, a popular MZ brand. Homegrown skincare brand Mediheal showcases its limited-edition collections in collaboration with Opanchu Rabbit at the pop-up located on the second floor.
Zanmang Loopy, which unveiled its store at the Lotte Duty Free flagship store in November, saw its average monthly sales increase by about +130%. LDF House meanwhile records an average of 1,000 daily visitors compared to an initial 300 when the store opened in October.
The retailer has also renovated the customer lounge of its flagship store in Myeongdong and prepared various promotional activities to celebrate its opening.
On 15 December, Lotte Duty Free opened the LDF Star Studio & Lounge on the 13th floor of the flagship branch. A variety of retail elements were added to the lounge to enhance customer experience including LDF Star Photo and Bellygom photo booths, featuring digital sticker photo frames.
The lounge also now includes a powder room to provide a rest area for customers.
To celebrate the opening of the LDF Star Studio & Lounge, Lotte Duty Free has launched a series of promotional activities.
A pop-up store is also open at Lotte Duty Free’s Jeju Airport branch until 14 January. Ten K-beauty brands are showcased at the retail space including Whoo, Innisfree and Cell Fusion C. The pop-up offers personal colour analysis to help customers find the colour that best matches their features.
Customers who visit the pop-up will receive cosmetics such as sunscreen and serum from participating brands.
Lotte Duty Free channel operation division head Lee Seung-guk said: “We have introduced various pop-up stores and started renewing the customer lounge to target the MZ generation, which has emerged as the main consumer group.
“Lotte Duty Free will continue to strive to provide various experience elements and duty free shopping benefits.”
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To celebrate Christmas and New Year, Lotte Duty Free has installed immersive holiday displays and attractions at its downtown stores, centred around the theme, ‘Hohoho Christmas’.
The Myeongdong flagship features a snowman character on the 12th floor, while another snowman sculpture is displayed at the Lotte World Tower branch. Until 1 January, Lotte Duty Free is also giving away up to KRW1.24 million (US$950) in LDF PAY, which can be used like cash.
(Source: The Moodie Davitt Report)