“These days, people try before they buy”: Appliance makers move to expand experience stores

[Financial News] Mid-sized appliance makers are increasingly expanding or strengthening their experience stores. The trend is seen as a response to the continuing shift toward trying products in person before buying, especially among younger consumers.
 According to industry sources on the 18th, Coway Co., Ltd. has opened more than 10 new directly operated experience stores across the country so far this year. Last September, it opened the Coway Gallery Hyundai Ulsan Direct Store at Hyundai Department Store in Nam-gu, Ulsan, where customers can try its products.
 The Coway Gallery Hyundai Ulsan Direct Store became the 11th directly operated experience store that Coway Co., Ltd. has begun operating this year. The space is designed to let visitors shopping for a new home or wedding furnishings try a range of Coway Co., Ltd. products, including BEREX massage chairs and mattresses.
 Visitors can try the BEREX Smart Mattress for 20 minutes, and the Pebble Chair 2 and Triple Chair 2 Slim for 30 minutes. The BEREX Triple Chair 2 Slim, recently launched by Coway Co., Ltd., can be used as an office chair at a desk, a reclining sofa for relaxation, or a massage chair to relieve fatigue.
 A Coway Co., Ltd. representative said, “Consumers tend to try massage chairs and mattresses thoroughly in person before buying to see whether they are right for them,” adding, “We will continue expanding our offline stores in ways that suit the characteristics of local commercial areas.”
 BODYFRIEND has begun operating an experience store called Lounge at Living Power Center, a shopping complex in Giheung-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Living Power Center is a shopping complex where visitors can find a range of home and lifestyle brands, including furniture, appliances and household goods, all in one place. BODYFRIEND has designed Lounge to offer experiences centered on healthcare robots.
 Visitors to Lounge can try the Wearable AI Healthcare Robot 733, the AI Healthcare Robot Quantum AI Pro, and the Healthcare Robot Falcon series. They can also experience medical devices certified by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, including Medical Pharaoh 2026 and Medical Phantom Robot.
 Ceragem is partnering with hotels and resorts to operate spaces where customers can try healthcare appliances. It has signed an agreement with The Heaven Resort on Daebudo Island in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. The collaboration is intended not merely to display Ceragem healthcare appliances, but to let guests experience spinal care, massage and skincare firsthand during their stay.
 Ceragem has installed healthcare appliances in four rooms at The Heaven Resort. The rooms comprise two standard Wellness Suites and two Royal Wellness Suites. They include rooms focused on physical recovery after outdoor activities such as golf and swimming, as well as spaces designed with relaxation, skincare and family health management in mind.
 A Ceragem representative said, “We have partnered with The Heaven Resort, where guests can enjoy a vacation and play golf amid nature,” adding, “We will work with a range of hotels and resorts, including The Heaven Resort, to expand wellness spaces where people can experience the restorative value of healthcare appliances.”

[email protected] Kang Kyung-rae Reporter