Gimpo City Designates Two Additional Alley-Type Shopping Districts:
Pungnyeon Village and Furniture Complex
Under the leadership of Mayor Kim Byungsoo, the 8th popularly elected administration of Gimpo City is accelerating efforts to revitalize local commercial districts. On October 22, the city designated two additional shopping areas in Sau-dong and Unyang-dong as "alley-type shopping districts" to boost neighborhood commerce.
An alley-type shopping district refers to an area of up to 2,000 square meters densely populated with small businesses operated by local merchants. This system was introduced to strengthen the competitiveness of small-scale neighborhood merchants.
Once designated as an alley-type shopping district, stores can accept Onnuri gift certificates just like traditional markets, which is expected to increase sales. Merchants can also participate in various government-sponsored programs, such as Onnuri gift certificate consumption promotion (payback) events and business management package initiatives.
In 2024, the city designated four alley-type shopping districts, followed by five more in the first half of 2025, as part of efforts to invigorate the local economy. With the ongoing economic downturn, interest among small business owners in alley-type shopping districts has grown, leading to the additional designation of two locations in the second half of 2025.
The newly designated alley-type shopping districts are: one in Sau-dong (Gimpo Pungnyeon Village) and one in Unyang-dong (Gimpo Furniture Complex). The Gimpo Pungnyeon Village alley-type shopping district consists of 153 stores, making it the largest of its kind to date (compared to the previous average of 50 stores per alley-type shopping district in Gimpo). As a result, the area eligible for Onnuri gift certificate merchant registration has been significantly expanded.
The Gimpo Furniture Complex alley-type shopping district has long received inquiries about Onnuri gift certificate acceptance. Given the large transaction sizes typical of this commercial area, it is expected to have a substantial ripple effect on the local economy.
The city plans to further expand the designation of alley-type shopping districts next year to revitalize struggling neighborhood commerce and enhance the competitiveness of small business owners.
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