Lotte Department Store's Busan Main Branch to Debut Korea's First IP Specialty Zone, 'Fandom Space'

[Financial News] Lotte Department Store is opening its first specialty zone in Busan that brings together fandoms of every kind, without regard to genre or taste, from animation and games to characters and figures.
Lotte Department Store's Busan Main Branch, in Bujeon-dong, Busan, announced on the 28th that it will open 'Fandom Space,' a 1,785-square-meter intellectual property (IP) specialty zone, on the first basement level on the 30th.
With the slogan 'Where fandom comes alive,' the new specialty zone brings into one space subcultures and fandom cultures that had been scattered across genres, including animation, games, characters and figures.
Lotte Department Store chose its Busan Main Branch, rather than a Seoul location, for its first IP specialty zone because the number of young customers in their 20s and 30s has surged recently, particularly around the Seomyeon commercial district.
The Busan Main Branch has indeed captured attention on social media by regularly presenting bold content through 'Kinetic Stage,' its basement-level 1 zone dedicated to pop-ups. It has also become known among domestic and international visitors to Busan as a 'must-visit stop on a trip to Busan.' Sales to customers in their 20s and 30s rose by at least 15% from January to September this year compared with the same period last year.
Lotte Department Store plans to use the Busan Main Branch as a successful first model and expand Fandom Space to major locations nationwide, including Lotte World Mall in Jamsil.
Animate, a specialty merchandise store, will serve as Fandom Space's key anchor tenant. Based on Japanese manga and animation, Animate is a specialist retail brand that sells character merchandise, books and more, and plans to offer distinctive animation fandom content in Busan's commercial district.
The zone will also expand its game-style offerings. Joining the 'Bandai Gashapon Official Shop,' where visitors can enjoy capsule toys based on a range of popular IPs in one place, will be 'Ichiban Kuji,' known for character lotteries with no losing tickets.
The Japanese character brand shop San-X will also open there. Specialty shops for plastic model kits and figures will also be added.
In addition to the permanent stores, seven large pop-up stores—including the 'One Piece Mugiwara Store,' 'Harry Potter Mahou Dokoro' and 'LaLiga Webtoon'—will open simultaneously at Kinetic Stage on the first basement level to celebrate the launch.
To mark the opening of Fandom Space, Lotte Department Store will also hold the final round of the 'Character Cosplay Challenge' on the 8th of next month, featuring participants selected through online preliminaries.
The opening-weekend event, 'Stamp Tour,' will also run from the 30th through the 1st of next month. Customers who complete three missions—making a purchase, posting on social media and verifying a store visit—can enter a draw with a 100% chance of winning.
The exterior wall at the main entrance of the Busan Main Branch will be transformed into a large projection-mapping screen from the 30th through the end of the year.
Lotte Department Store plans to use the Busan Main Branch as a model and expand Fandom Space to major locations nationwide, including Lotte World Mall in Jamsil.
Jin Seung-hyeon, head of Lotte Department Store's Busan Main Branch, said, "We prepared Fandom Space based on the demand for fandom experiences among customers in their 20s and 30s that we observed at the Busan Main Branch." He added, "We will make it a cultural space in Busan where people can enjoy the content and characters they love up close."
[email protected] Choi Ye-ra Reporter