"Let's stay together for a long time, boss" Kakao Pay's warm spirit of coexistence spreads through Seongsu [Report]

[Financial News] Kakao Pay's "Orae Orae Hamkke Store," which carries the warm stories of small business owners, has opened on a busy street in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. As soon as visitors stepped inside, they were greeted by the subtle scent of "Orae Light." It is the signature fragrance created by the brand "Lizeul," which newly joined Orae Orae Hamkke Store this year. The store features products that are not easy to find in large retail outlets, ranging from food made with local agricultural products to household goods and stationery. Next to each product, the owner's story and the philosophy behind the brand are also introduced. Rather than a simple pop-up store selling goods, it felt more like an exhibition where consumers could discover small brands one by one.
According to Kakao Pay on the 1st, the small business coexistence campaign "Orae Orae Hamkke Store" will run for two months starting that day in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong District, Seoul. This year's theme is "A 1,000-Day Journey: The Door of Opportunity, the Place of Discovery." The idea is to offer small businesses a "door of opportunity" to promote their brands, while giving visitors a "place of discovery" where they can encounter brands they had not known before.
This year, the event goes a step further from previous editions that focused mainly on product sales by introducing an "Atelier Zone" that highlights the history of small business brands. In the Atelier Zone, products are displayed according to five themes of discovery: sincerity, sensibility, daily life, sustainability and locality. The raw materials that symbolize each brand, the production process and the founder's story are presented together. The goal is to help visitors understand the brand philosophy before experiencing and purchasing the products themselves.
The touch of participating small businesses can be seen throughout the space. The landscaping design, signature fragrance and layered stamp postcards were all created in collaboration with the brands. In effect, the participating brands took part directly in building the store, creating a shared ecosystem of coexistence.
Programs were also prepared so visitors could experience the value of small business brands. For 1,000 won, visitors can buy an "Orae Pass," which gives them entry into a lucky draw for discount coupons worth at least 1,000 won and a tasting ticket for the "Orae Table," where they can sample food and beverage brand products. All proceeds from the sale of the Orae Pass will be donated to a small business growth support program. It is a virtuous cycle in which visitors' experiences and spending are fed back into resources that support the growth of small businesses.
A layered stamp postcard was also prepared, allowing visitors to complete it by stamping along their route through the store. As they moved from space to space and layered the stamps one by one, a single picture gradually took shape, adding to the enjoyment of touring the store.
Orae Orae Hamkke Store is a coexistence campaign launched in 2023 by Kakao Pay and the Work Together Foundation to help small businesses expand sales channels and grow their operations. Over the past three years, Kakao Pay has connected 264 small business brands with 400,000 visitors.
At the event, Lee Yoon-geun, head of Kakao Pay's ESG council, said, "When we first started the Orae Orae Hamkke Store campaign, even the name itself felt burdensome because we wondered, 'Can we really stay together with small businesses for a long time?'" He added, "Now it has established itself as Kakao Pay's representative coexistence project." He continued, "We have brought together the support experience we have accumulated over the past 1,000 days to create a space in Seongsu-dong where brands and consumers can communicate more deeply," and emphasized, "We will spare no practical support so that small brands with their own stories can be discovered by more consumers and secure opportunities for sustainable growth."
[email protected] Lee Hyun-jung Reporter