[Report] One of Only Two Lemaire Stores Worldwide in Korea... Chinese and Southeast Asian Tourists 'Sweeping Them Up'

Le Mer Flagship Store in Hannam-dong
Sales Expansion Since Store Opening in November Last Year
Essential Tourist Spot for Foreigners... Expanding Stores in Asia

On the afternoon of the 17th, the streets of Hannam-dong were empty due to the scorching sunlight, but a group of foreigners taking photos with their phones in front of a detached house's entrance caught the eye. It was the flagship store of Lemaire, designed with a home concept. It closely resembled an ordinary house to the point where one might mistake it for an actual residence. As a French luxury brand operated by Samsung C&T Fashion that pursues fashion suitable for everyday wear, Lemaire designed the store in the form of a home to provide customers with the comfort of a household setting.

Lemaire has recorded an explosive growth rate in the 50% range this year. While the continued popularity of the 'Croissant Bag' has boosted brand recognition, the Lemaire flagship store, which opened in Hannam-dong last November, has become a 'must-visit tourist spot' for foreigners, significantly increasing sales to foreign customers.

Croissant bag placed in the middle of the first-floor store,
[Photo by Minji Lee]

The Lemaire store is divided into the first and second floors. On the first floor, the brand's representative product, the 'Croissant Bag,' is displayed prominently in the center. This bag, which looks like croissant bread woven into the strap and attached to the back, is popular among female consumers as it can be comfortably worn in everyday life regardless of outfit. Many celebrities considered domestic fashion icons, such as Jung Ryeo-won, Cha Jung-won, Jang Hee-ryeong, and BLACKPINK's Jisoo and Jennie, have been frequently spotted wearing the Croissant Bag, maintaining its popularity to this day.

The bag's popularity is also reflected in sales. 50% of Lemaire's sales come from bags, most of which are Croissant Bags. Recently, considering Korea's hot summer weather, they introduced a Croissant Bag made of coated linen, which is easier to manage and lighter than leather.

The exterior view of Le Mer Hannam-dong flagship store visited on the 17th.
Photo by Minji Lee

The main drivers of Lemaire's sales growth are foreign customers. The store receives over 100 visitors daily on average. The ratio of domestic to foreign customers is about 5 to 5, indicating a high number of foreign tourists. The influx of Chinese travelers during their holidays further increased the number of foreign visitors. Among foreign tourists, customers from China and Southeast Asia make up a large proportion. It is reported that they come after seeing Korean celebrities wearing the products on social networking services (SNS).

On that day, individual foreign tourists continued to visit the Hannam-dong store. Southeast Asian tourists, appearing to be a mother with her son and daughter, headed straight to the women's clothing section on the second floor and browsed various products they liked.

Lemaire's flagship stores exist only in two locations worldwide: France and Korea. Although Lemaire is a brand born in France, Korea is currently the country generating the highest sales. Since Samsung C&T Fashion first introduced Lemaire to Korea in 2015, the brand's sales have continued on an upward trajectory.

The view of the women's clothing section on the 2nd floor. For this spring and summer season, clothes were made with cool and thin materials suitable for the Korean summer.
[Photo by Minji Lee]

Lemaire's biggest appeal lies in its understated logo and the ability to showcase quiet luxury through design and materials. Nam Ho-sung, team leader of the Overseas Products Team 4 at Samsung C&T Fashion, said, "Lemaire also values the Korean market, so recently we have been releasing clothes tailored to Korean consumers' preferences." He added, "For this spring and summer season, we launched clothes made with thinner materials that are light and cool to wear." For this fall and winter season, goose down padding suitable for the sharply dropping temperatures will be introduced for the first time.

Meanwhile, starting with the opening of the flagship store in Korea, Lemaire plans to expand its stores into the Japanese and Chinese markets. Since it has confirmed strong popularity among consumers in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, it is expected to open stores in major department stores in these regions.