Interactive Workshop 'Jangi Gongbanggil' Opens in Department Store

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Lotte Department Store announced on the 27th that it will open a new experiential workshop store collection called ‘Jangi Gongbang-gil’ on the 3rd floor of the Pyeongchon branch on the 31st.

This Jangi Gongbang-gil combines the pure Korean word ‘Jangi,’ meaning a person skilled in a craft based on artisan spirit, with ‘gil,’ meaning street or the skill of mastering something, to signify stores operated by specialized workshop artists. Covering approximately 570㎡ (170 pyeong), it consists of five stores including the existing leather workshop ‘Toggle,’ food workshop ‘Sikcho Sangjeom,’ pottery workshop ‘Bichda Geurida,’ needlework workshop ‘Misty Cotita,’ and a workshop artist curated store ‘Gongjagin.’ The area has been expanded more than threefold compared to before.

The Pyeongchon branch undertook this renewal reflecting the popularity of the leather workshop brand Toggle, which opened in August last year. Toggle is an authentic handmade leather workshop brand where customers can make accessories such as handbags, wallets, and keychains themselves. Classes range from beginner to expert levels aimed at entrepreneurship. The monthly average number of students reaches 80 to 100.

The workshop stores are significant not only for retaining existing department store customers but also for attracting new ones. By having workshops, which are mainly road shops, enter the department store, it draws road shop customers into the department store as well. Among Toggle students, 30% are new department store customers. Since Toggle’s opening, new customers in the relevant product category at the Pyeongchon branch have increased by more than 10% compared to before.

At Jangi Gongbang-gil, various types of classes will be held according to the products offered at each store, and handmade products such as wallets, handbags, interior accessories, and pottery made directly by experts will also be sold.

Lee Cheol-jin, head of the Women’s Fashion Team at Lotte Department Store Pyeongchon branch, said, “Jangi Gongbang-gil is characterized by combining a product sales-focused store with a culture center style focused on classes, satisfying both ownership and experience simultaneously.” He added, “As an experiential store where products and customers’ lives naturally blend, it will meet the needs of customers seeking happiness through self-development such as ‘So-hwak-haeng’ (small but certain happiness).”