"Arrived in Korea and Came Here First"... Foreign Tourists and Millennials Flock to K-Fashion Zone for Big Discounts [Report]

Visited the Newly Opened 'Kinetic Ground' K-Fashion Zone at Lotte Department Store on July 4
Over 100 People Lined Up on Opening Day After News Broke
Some Stores Had More Than 70 Waiting Customers
"We Aim to Make It a Landmark for People in Their 20s and 30s"

"As soon as I arrived in Korea, this was the first place I visited."

At 10:40 AM on July 4, on the 9th floor of Lotte Department Store Main Branch in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Clarice (24), a Chinese tourist encountered at the K-fashion specialty zone 'Kinetic Ground', said this while holding shopping bags from the MartineKim and StandOil stores in both hands. She had taken a flight to Korea the night before for her trip and smiled as she said, "I saw the news about the opening of Kinetic Ground on Instagram and made up my mind to visit as soon as I came to Korea."

Around 10:40 AM on the 4th, in front of the 'Trimmingbird' store inside 'Kinetic Ground' on the 9th floor of Lotte Department Store Main Branch. Photo by Park Jaehyun

On this day, Lotte Department Store opened its new K-fashion specialty zone, 'Kinetic Ground'. Even before the doors opened, crowds gathered around the department store for the so-called 'open run.' More than 100 people were lined up at the entrance before the opening time of 10:30 AM. Some of them were foreign tourists carrying suitcases. In front of popular brands, more than 70 people were waiting. Kim (26), whom we met in the queue for the Belier store, said, "I heard the discounts were big, so I came for the opening, but I ended up waiting for over two hours."

'Kinetic Ground' is a new K-fashion specialty zone introduced by Lotte Department Store targeting customers in their 20s and 30s. The approximately 1,800-square-meter (550-pyeong) space, which is about a quarter the size of a soccer field, is filled with leading K-fashion brands. Fifteen K-fashion brands, including 'MardiMercredi', 'MartineKim', 'Koiseio', and 'Trimmingbird', which are gaining attention both domestically and internationally, have entered the space. There are 11 women's brands, and two each of unisex and men's brands. For four brands, including TheBarnet, YesIC, and 999Humanity, this is their first offline store.

At around 10:40 AM on the 4th, an overview of 'Kinetic Ground' on the 9th floor of Lotte Department Store Main Branch. Photo by JaeHyun Park

This space, which consists of 'regular stores' and 'popup stores (Kinetic Stage)', was designed with a unified interior concept. Regular stores operate on a yearly basis, while popup stores are replaced every two weeks to one month. Lotte Department Store buyer Yoon Changuk explained, "Popup stores are effective in attracting customers who previously didn't visit the department store," and added, "Currently, all popup schedules through October and November have been finalized." Lotte Department Store CEO Jung Junho also personally visited the stores right after the opening to check on operations.

Products inside the Kinetic Stage 'Toutou Archive' store. The interior, including hangers and utensils, is decorated to match the atmosphere of Kinetic Ground. Photo by JaeHyun Park

As customer crowds grew, some brand CEOs came out to the floor to greet customers themselves. Kim Minkyoung, CEO of Trimmingbird, greeted customers in front of the store that morning. Kim stated, "We are currently in The Hyundai Seoul and Lotte Department Store Busan Main Branch," and added, "We are also considering overseas expansion." Some brand stores sold exclusive (limited edition) products. For example, 'MardiMercredi' presented a T-shirt with the 'Triple Flower' design as an offline exclusive at Kinetic Ground, while '999Humanity' introduced T-shirts, hats, and bags featuring graphics inspired by a map of Myeongdong.

Lotte Department Store plans to develop Kinetic Ground as a 'K-fashion landmark.' The goal is to move beyond traditional department store merchandising and space design, and instead present brand stores that combine innovation and trendiness. Previously, at the Seoul Fashion Forum in February, CEO Jung emphasized, "The next big item in the K-culture wave is K-fashion," and stated, "Lotte Department Store will become the number one department store in supporting K-fashion."

Kinetic Ground popup store (Kinetic Stage) exterior. A media wall is installed to display the brand logo and products. Photo by JaeHyun Park