[Report] Crowds Flock to Limited-Edition Character Stores... Lotte Kinetic Ground Expands Threefold

A Preview of Kinetic Ground Jamsil Opening on the 26th
Featuring IP Content Like Jjanggu Cafe and Rilakkuma Store
Three Times Larger Than the First Branch... Targeting Domestic Visitors to Jamsil

On the morning of September 25, the second Kinetic Ground branch on the second floor of Lotte Department Store Jamsil in Songpa-gu, Seoul, was bustling with activity. Ahead of its official opening on September 26, the space has strategically placed stores featuring popular character intellectual properties (IP), such as Jjanggu Bakery Cafe and Rilakkuma Sumikkogurashi Plus by San-X. This is a notable change from the first branch, which opened at the Lotte Department Store main branch in July and featured K-fashion brands popular among foreigners, such as Martine Kim and Mardi Mercredi, near the entrance.

While the first Kinetic Ground branch emphasized uniformity by using metallic materials, the second branch stands out for highlighting each brand's unique identity in its store layouts.

Payment queue inside the 'Rilakkuma Sumikkogurashi Plus by San-X' store. Photo by JaeHyun Park

The most crowded spot that day was the Rilakkuma Sumikkogurashi Plus by San-X store. Opened one day ahead of the official Kinetic Ground launch, the store was packed with fans who learned about the opening through social networking services (SNS). Visitors lined up to take photos at the photo zone and purchase limited-edition merchandise. Nam Yeonok, a 32-year-old resident of Gangnam-gu, Seoul, said, "I came after hearing that the character operator was opening an official store," adding, "I heard that big stickers, keyrings, and magnet frames would be sold in limited quantities, so I came as soon as it opened."

The number of brands and the store size have also expanded. While the first branch housed a total of 15 brands, the second branch has increased this to 19. There are four content brands such as Jjanggu and Rilakkuma, nine young fashion and unisex brands, five miscellaneous goods brands, and one Musinsa Store.

The store area has also increased significantly, from about 1,800 square meters (550 pyeong) to 5,000 square meters (1,500 pyeong), nearly 2.7 times larger. Individual store sizes have also grown from 15-20 pyeong at the first branch to 25-30 pyeong at the second. Yoon Changwook, chief buyer at Lotte Department Store, explained, "At the main branch, we focused on K-fashion brands with large foreign fandoms due to the limited space. For the second branch, we reduced the metallic feel and focused on brands that received explosive responses during pop-ups at Lotte World Mall Jamsil, aiming for greater synergy with IP content."

The core customer base has also shifted to match the characteristics of Jamsil. The second branch has strengthened its character stores to appeal to families visiting Lotte World and Lotte World Mall. Jjanggu Bakery Cafe is the first bakery store of its kind in Korea, while the Rilakkuma Sumikkogurashi store is the second to open in the country after the Hongdae branch. In January next year, a Musinsa Store is also scheduled to open here.

Exterior view of Jjanggu Bakery Cafe located in Kinetic Ground at Lotte Department Store Jamsil Branch. Photo by Park Jaehyun

Kinetic Ground Jamsil Branch Exterior. Photo by JaeHyun Park

Kinetic Ground Jamsil Branch began construction in March and underwent about six months of preparation. While some brands overlap with the first branch, such as Martine Kim and The Barnette, the expansion of lifestyle brands like TETO and RAWROW is a distinctive feature. The pop-up space, Kinetic Stage, has also been expanded from 17 pyeong at the first branch to 30 pyeong, and one or two brand pop-up stores will be held during the same period. From September 26 to October 14, the lifestyle select shop 'Sisi Hosi' will hold a pop-up store. Afterwards, brands such as the tableware brand 'Leejay' and the sports line 'Mardi Mercredi Active' will be featured.

Kinetic Ground is considered the ambitious project of Lotte Department Store CEO Jung Junho. Kinetic Ground is a newly introduced K-fashion specialty zone targeting Millennials & Gen Z. It features K-fashion brands attracting attention both domestically and internationally, including Martine Kim and The Barnette. The space consists of regular stores and pop-up stores (Kinetic Stage). In particular, Kinetic Stage is used to showcase various brands or as a test space for new projects of resident brands. Lotte Department Store plans to expand Kinetic Ground to its Myeongdong main branch and Busan main branch following Jamsil.