Spend Chuseok at a Department Store? Pop-Ups, Food and Entertainment Galore

[Financial News] As more families choose to spend the Chuseok holiday in the city, department stores are stepping up efforts to offer cultural and experiential content beyond shopping. The industry is targeting demand for holiday outings with pop-up stores, experience facilities, food offerings and events.
According to industry sources on the 23rd, Hyundai Department Store will operate the 'EDIT DEPT: NEO LOCAL' pop-up store on the basement level of The Hyundai Seoul through the 30th. The event introduces local brands featuring the distinctive character and stories of different regions across Korea. More than 20 brands in fashion, beauty, living and food will participate and showcase a variety of products.
Notable examples include artist So Dongho's 'Street Chairs of Seoul,' an artistic reinterpretation of Seoul's street chairs; Kiim' studio, which has transformed Daegu's traditional quilting technique into contemporary handbags; and GOTAE, which applies the elegant curves of the traditional gat hat to tableware. The exhibition will also feature a documentary with interviews with writers and illustrators who have participated in producing regional magazines in Daegu, Busan and Cheongju since 2022. Video content documenting the process of creating products in collaboration with artisans from each region will also be shown.
Lotte Department Store will open a 'LALIGA WEBTOON'-themed pop-up store at the atrium on the first floor of Lotte World Mall from the 24th through October 6. The pop-up was organized in collaboration with Altava Group, the licensing company for LALIGA WEBTOON. It will bring offline versions of content that reimagines seven clubs, including Futbol Club Barcelona, Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (Real Madrid) and Atlético Madrid, along with their players as webtoon characters.
The event venue is divided into four themed spaces. They include the 'Welcome Zone,' designed to evoke entering a LALIGA stadium; the 'Character Gallery,' where visitors can take photos with representative player characters from each club; the 'Screen Zone,' where they can watch memorable match highlights on a large screen; and the 'Store & Custom Zone,' where they can purchase official merchandise and enjoy customization experiences.
Officially licensed products and limited-edition merchandise will also be sold. Offerings include the 'FC Barcelona Home Replica Jersey (with Lamine Yamal marking)' and the 'Atlético Madrid Replica Jersey,' directly imported from Spain, as well as webtoon character key rings, dolls and streetwear products being unveiled for the first time at this pop-up.
For the Chuseok holiday, Shinsegae Department Store will present store-specific content that allows visitors to enjoy shopping, food, culture and experiences in one place. Centum City will offer ice rink tickets and discounts at KidZania, while Daegu Shinsegae will hold a discount event for the trampoline experience space Bounce and its aquarium. Shinsegae Department Store Times Square Branch will offer discounts for the indoor animal experience space Jureongjureong.
Food pop-ups and participatory events for families will also be held. Daegu Shinsegae will feature Hoildang and Taco Master, Centum City will host O’Donut, Daejeon Shinsegae Art & Science will present Yaki Matsuri, and the main branch will offer a Pang Pang Sarada-ppang pop-up. During the holiday, visitors can take part in various activities, including experiences using Puvilla key rings and patch sets, yut nori, air ball and lucky ball games.
Lee Seong-hwan, executive vice president in charge of sales strategy at Shinsegae Department Store, said, "For this Chuseok holiday, we have prepared content that the whole family can enjoy together, including not only shopping but also food, cultural experiences and participatory events." He added, "We plan to continue offering a range of content so customers can experience new enjoyment at our department stores not only during the holiday but also after Chuseok."
[email protected] Jang Yu-ha Reporter