Lotte Mart Becomes a Must-Visit for Travelers... 1 in 5.8 Japanese Tourists Stop By

23% Increase in Foreign Visitors and 30% Growth in Sales Last Year
Online and Local Campaigns Targeting Japanese Tourists

Lotte Mart is establishing itself as a leading "K-shopping" destination for foreign tourists.

Lotte Mart Zetaflex Seoul Station Branch Store Exterior. Provided by Lotte Mart.

According to Lotte Mart on January 15, the number of foreign visitors last year increased by 23% compared to the previous year, while sales to foreigners grew by 30%. Since 2023, both the number of foreign customers and sales have grown together for three consecutive years, steadily absorbing the demand from inbound tourists to Korea.

At the Zetaflex Seoul Station branch, sales to foreigners account for about 40% of the total, reflecting a high proportion of foreign customers. The branch offers foreigner-friendly amenities such as free baggage storage, luggage packing stations, foreign currency exchange machines, and automated tax refund kiosks, establishing itself as a key destination for tourists from around the world.

This success is driven by Lotte Mart’s marketing strategy targeting foreign tourists. Lotte Mart is strengthening its product assortment and services at stores specialized for foreign customers, while also implementing marketing initiatives that cover the entire journey-from overseas exposure to the in-store experience.

In October last year, Lotte Mart launched a large-scale advertising campaign in Japan, unveiling a massive outdoor advertisement at Shibuya Scramble Crossing in Tokyo. By investing heavily in this symbolic location, which sees an average daily foot traffic of 3 million people, Lotte Mart promoted the slogan, "Fill the gaps in your Korea trip at Lotte Mart," for one month. The company also ran short-form "TikTok" online ads targeting Japanese women in their teens and twenties to further boost brand awareness.

Communication with local customers was also strengthened. In September last year, Lotte Mart launched a dedicated Instagram channel for Japan, introducing popular and new products and presenting a variety of events exclusively for foreign customers.

Outdoor advertising image of Lotte Mart at Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Tokyo.

The marketing targeting Japanese tourists translated into actual store visits. A comparison of the number of Japanese visitors to Korea, as compiled by the Korea Tourism Organization, and the number of Japanese customers at Lotte Mart revealed that in November last year, over 17% of Japanese visitors to Korea visited Lotte Mart. This is a notable increase from the 14% range in the previous month, meaning that roughly one out of every 5.8 Japanese tourists visited Lotte Mart. The brand experience that began overseas led to a tangible increase in customer numbers, and in December, Lotte Mart was officially recognized for its marketing effectiveness by being selected as an outstanding campaign case on the global platform "TikTok."

This year, Lotte Mart plans to expand country-specific benefits for foreign tourists. First, in collaboration with Taiwan's LINE Pay, Lotte Mart will distribute coupon packages for Taiwanese tourists at the "Hiker Station" in Incheon Airport Terminal 1 during January. Next month, to coincide with the Chinese New Year, the company will run promotions targeting Chinese tourists, and until March, it will offer exclusive Alipay discounts at Lotte Mart.

Im Hoseok, Head of Brand Communication for Lotte Mart and Lotte Super, stated, "Starting with last year’s advertising campaign in Japan, we plan to expand our marketing for foreign customers not only in Asia but also in the Americas and Europe," adding, "We will further solidify our position as an essential stop for anyone traveling to Korea."