"Let's Have Fun" MZ Playground, The Era of Popup Stores

Companies Acquire Customers, Consumers Experience Brands
20s and 30s Share Again with Acquaintances via SNS
A Kind of 'Department Store Playground' for Fun and Experience

Lotte Department Store will open a Mangmang Loopy popup store starting from the 15th. Photo by Lotte Shopping

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "I even search for where popup stores are opening."

Recently, sharing information about popup stores has become essential among the MZ generation. They share with friends where, when, and which popup stores are opening and go together. Upon arriving at the site, they experience the brand and share the process on their Instagram. It can even be called a playground installed in department stores where young people can run and play freely.

The origin of popup stores dates back to 2002 when the large American discount store 'Target' temporarily set up a store because it could not secure space for a new store. Popup store operators observe customer reactions to products and gather feedback to develop products more effectively. Therefore, it is also called a space where companies and consumers can both be satisfied.

Also, department stores with popup stores can secure customers through events, creating a mutually beneficial relationship. This is why popup stores inevitably continue to develop day by day. There are various types of popup stores, including those themed around movies, beds, soju, characters, and more, marking a true golden age of popup stores.

Puvilla Christmas Street located on the 3rd floor of Shinsegae Department Store Times Square branch. Photo by Shinsegae Department Store

From Janmang Loopy to Pubilla's 'Manggeureojin Gom'... Popular Characters All Gathered

Recently, at the end of the year, the distribution industry is focusing on securing customers by creating character-centered popup stores. According to related industries on the 13th, Lotte Department Store will open the first Christmas popup store of Janmang Loopy, 'Holiday with Janmang Loopy,' on the 1st floor of Lotte World Mall in Jamsil, Seoul, from the 15th to the 25th. Janmang Loopy is a sub-character of 'Loopy' from the children's animation 'Porong Porong Pororo.' Various Christmas limited edition goods can be found at this popup store.

Shinsegae Department Store is holding a popup event for the representative character 'Pubilla' Non-Fungible Token (NFT) at the Times Square branch. Pubilla is a cotton ball-like character resembling a white bear created by Shinsegae. The Pubilla universe NFT popup event will be held on the 1st floor of the Times Square branch from the 22nd to the 31st. Visitors can see not only the main character Pubilla but also Pubilla's friends resembling a fox, raccoon, and others in various sculptures.

Hyundai Department Store is running a popup store for the popular character 'Manggeureojin Gom' on the 6th floor Uncommon Store of The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul, until the 22nd. This store sells over 50 related products, including stationery.

In February, the bed brand Simmons installed the socializing project 'Simmons Grocery Store' in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul. Photo by Simmons

Popup Store Opening Runs... MZ Generation Shares Brand Experiences on SNS

Following character popup stores, movie-related content is also gaining popularity. Recently, on the 1st floor of The Hyundai Seoul, a popup store for the movie 'Avatar: The Way of Water,' scheduled to open on the 14th, was held. This popup store attracted great attention with an average of over 4,000 visitors per day. The popup zone was themed around the Pandora planet, the movie's setting, featuring an experiential media art exhibition and alternating screenings of the movie trailer.

Meanwhile, the bed brand Simmons also attracted significant public interest. 'Simmons Grocery Store' opened a popup store in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in February, gaining great popularity among the MZ generation. The most distinctive feature of the Simmons popup store was that there were no beds. The first floor displayed various goods such as stationery and clothing accessories, the second floor recreated an American vintage-style burger shop, and the third floor was a gallery showing advertising videos reflecting the brand concept, providing a resting space.

The Wonsoju popup store installed at The Hyundai in February is a representative successful case emphasizing scarcity through limited sales. When the popup store opened, curiosity about Wonsoju combined with the scarcity of limited sales led to opening runs. The popup store, conducted on a 100% first-come, first-served reservation basis on-site, attracted about 30,000 visitors over a week, and all 20,000 prepared bottles were sold out. This popup store was so popular that over 1,000 people participated in the opening runs daily.

Experts analyze that the main reason popup stores are popular among the MZ generation is that they can share their experiences with others.

Professor Lee Eun-hee of Inha University (Department of Consumer Studies) explained, "The reason popup stores are especially popular among people in their 20s and 30s is undoubtedly because of SNS sharing. They see, touch, and experience the brand on-site and share the process on Instagram and other SNS platforms. They share their experiences with others again."

She added, "Also, no matter how well metaverse (virtual reality) is made, it is difficult to experience directly touching and handling things like this. There is a big difference between what we can experience online and offline."