‘1 trillion won in sales to foreign customers,’ Lotte Department Store to expand benefits of its dedicated card

[Financial News] Lotte Department Store is stepping up services for foreign customers with a dedicated card that combines shopping discounts with prepaid payments.
According to industry sources on the 12th, Lotte Department Store is expanding the benefits of its ‘Lotte Tourist Membership’ for foreign customers.
First introduced at the Main Store last December, the ‘Lotte Tourist Membership Card’ is a shopping benefits card for foreign customers that can be easily issued using a passport. It offers a 5% discount on department store purchases, benefits at Lotte affiliates, and transit card functionality.
The card is currently available at the Main Store, Jamsil Store and Busan Main Store, and cumulative issuance has topped 250,000. Foreign customers who used the card at Lotte affiliates or as a transit card accounted for 90% or more of cardholders.
The card has also proven effective in attracting new foreign customers. A survey found that a considerable number of foreign customers who received a card at the Main Store through August this year made purchases at the department store at least twice. The nationalities of members are also becoming increasingly diverse, including China, Taiwan, Singapore and the United States.
After recently becoming the first in the industry to record 1 trillion won in sales to foreign customers, Lotte Department Store has launched ‘Lotte Tourist Membership x Check in Seoul,’ which can be issued instantly, as the Main Store’s average daily card issuance exceeded roughly 1,000. Developed in partnership with Lotte Card Co., Ltd.’s prepaid card for foreign customers, ‘Check in Seoul,’ the product adds prepaid payment functionality and extra benefits to the existing membership.
At Lotte Department Store, customers can get the basic 5% discount as well as a 10% reward from Check in Seoul when they spend 100,000 won or more. Existing benefits at Lotte affiliates, including 10% off at Lotte Duty Free and 7% off at Lotte Mart, will also remain. Benefits at around 70 partner businesses in beauty, food and beverage, and culture have been added.
A self-service kiosk that handles card issuance, top-ups and refunds all in one place will be installed at the Main Store. A total of six kiosks will initially operate on the basement level, first floor and ninth floor, with additional installations to be considered depending on usage.
Services for foreign customers in travel and tourism will also be expanded. In partnership with Korean Air, Lotte Department Store will provide dedicated discount vouchers to foreign customers traveling on routes to Europe and Southeast Asia through the end of this year. A ‘Foreign Customer Concierge Lounge’ offering tourism information and shopping services is scheduled to open on the first floor of the Main Store at the end of this coming November.
Kang Woo-jin, head of Lotte Department Store’s Main Store, said, “The Lotte Tourist Membership Card, which began at the Main Store, is evolving into a comprehensive service covering payments, transportation and travel conveniences, thanks to the enthusiastic support of foreign customers. We will continue to identify services foreign customers need and make the Main Store a shopping destination they want to visit again.”
[email protected] Jang Yu-ha Reporter