"Namul at the Self-Bar"... Lotte Department Store Opens Premium Side Dish Shop in Jamsil

Gangnam Branch 'Matitneun Chan' Opens at Jamsil Branch
Side Dish Sales Soar Amid Rising Ingredient Costs

Lotte Department Store announced on the 2nd that it will open a new side dish specialty store to capture the increasing demand for purchasing side dishes due to 'kitchen closing' and rising ingredient costs.

Recently, due to the kitchen closing trend and rising ingredient costs, the demand for buying side dishes rather than making them at home has been increasing. In fact, Lotte Department Store's side dish sales increased by 10% last year compared to the previous year, and this year, with the continuous domino effect of ingredient price hikes, sales have grown even more significantly by 20%.

Customers purchasing side dishes at Lotte Department Store Gangnam Branch's 'Delicious Side Dishes'.

On the 6th, Lotte Department Store will newly open the premium side dish brand ‘Mat-it-neun Chan’ on the B1 floor of the Jamsil branch food hall. Mat-it-neun Chan is a premium side dish specialty store that opened in Daechi-dong in 2016 and opened at Lotte Department Store Gangnam branch in March 2021, recording monthly sales of 150 million KRW. One of the reasons for its popularity is that it has not raised prices even once in the past eight years.

At Mat-it-neun Chan in Jamsil, over 150 menu items are offered, ranging from basic side dishes to premium dishes. Prices vary widely, from basic side dishes priced at 10,000 KRW for 3 packs to premium dishes like beef short rib stew costing 90,000 KRW. Frequently sought-after menu items are organized into specialized corners. For example, namul (seasoned vegetable dishes) will be offered in a self-bar format, allowing customers to take as much as they want of the types they desire. Additionally, kimchi and jeon (Korean pancakes) will be displayed in separate corners, with 10 carefully selected varieties offered daily. There will also be an opening promotion. On the upcoming weekend (6th-7th), to celebrate the new opening, 4 packs of basic side dishes will be sold at a discounted price of 10,000 KRW.

Lee Ji-hee, Chief Buyer of the Seafood & HMR team at Lotte Department Store, said, “The demand for buying side dishes rather than making them at home is increasing, from everyday side dishes to dishes for welcoming guests,” and added, “We plan to continue introducing various contents that fit the changing times, including strengthening cooperation with the well-known ‘Mat-it-neun Chan’ among parents in the Gangnam area.”