“Heendy steps outside the department store” ... Hyundai Department Store’s Heendy merchandise sales surge 73%

[Financial News] Hyundai Department Store’s in-house character Heendy is gaining popularity as it expands its activities beyond the department store. Its profile has grown through collaborations with other characters and participation in a variety of external events, while sales of related merchandise and interest among social media users have also risen significantly.
According to Hyundai Department Store on the 3rd, sales of Heendy-related merchandise from January to October this year rose 73% from the same period a year earlier. As of last month, Heendy’s official Instagram account had more than 100,000 followers. That was an increase of more than 30% from about 76,000 during the same period last year.
Engagement among social media users also increased significantly. From January to October this year, Heendy’s Instagram content was shared 130,000 times, 60 times as often as during the same period last year. The content received 300,000 likes, three times as many, while the number of times posts were saved to revisit later rose sevenfold to about 20,000.
Kim Chang-su, a manager on Hyundai Department Store’s Brand Strategy Team, explained, “When customers share content, they are telling people they know about Heendy themselves, while saving it means they have grown fond of it enough to come back to it later.” He added, “This means not simply that Heendy has become better known, but that the number of fans who like Heendy and promote it themselves is growing rapidly.”
Heendy is an in-house character shaped like a white dog that Hyundai Department Store introduced in 2019. It carries the message “Remember the happiness of the moment” and is based on a story about setting off on adventures in search of happiness with three friends, Jelping, Jelppo and Jelbong.
Hyundai Department Store has so far sold Heendy merchandise mainly through its own distribution channels, including The Hyundai Souvenir, a souvenir shop on the fifth floor of The Hyundai Seoul, and The Hyundai Hi, an online specialty store for curated products. Since this year, it has expanded collaborations with other characters and participation in external events, making Heendy accessible to customers outside its department stores as well.
Hyundai Department Store plans to further diversify collaborative products featuring Heendy. It intends to work with lifestyle brands popular among Gen Z and international customers, while also expanding its in-house products—which have mainly consisted of stationery and small accessories—into fashion and accessories.
Park Geun-ho, an executive director in charge of sales strategy at Hyundai Department Store, said, “In the past, characters were a marketing tool for introducing brands to consumers, but now they are evolving into a means of building relationships with customers and fostering a sense of connection.” He added, “We will continue to strengthen our rapport with customers through content distinctive to Heendy and keep expanding the brand experience.”

[email protected] Jang Yu-ha Reporter