How Do Korean Millennials and Gen Zs Spend Their Time These Days?

What’s the Pop-Up Stores?

A pop-up shop is a term assigned to a shop or store that is purposefully temporary. It’s a store that “pops-up” for only a short period (couple of days to a couple of months) to achieve a specific purpose.

Overall, the conventional brick-and-mortar retail model of prolonged leases and massive transaction-based flagship stores is being challenged by the increasing popularity of pop-up retail.

Seoul Has Been Busy with the Pop-Up Stores, especially with Millennials and Gen Zs. And Why?

1. As Gen Z and Millennials value exclusivity and scarcity, it has been found that they not only consume goods from brands but also enjoy embracing new cultures, including play and experience.

2. The sector is becoming more active since it may benefit from using its own intellectual property (IP) to grow its business through various partnerships.

3. The pop-up store is in an appealing location. Choosing a location for a pop-up store used to depend heavily on metrics like foot traffic, but these days it’s more about the atmosphere the brand wants to create. If you want to project an avant-garde atmosphere, you may operate in an abandoned building in a remote city or an old building that is about to be demolished.

Seongsu-dong, a Popular Spot for the Pop-Up Stores in Seoul

Seongsu-dong, with its numerous outdated factories, is an excellent spot to set up a pop-up store. The rents are relatively cheaper than in the Ganganm area.

Also, as the factories’ site sizes are vast and have a vintage atmosphere, there is a lot of room for brands to try many different ideas in the space.

Here Are Some Pop-Up Stores That Were and Are Held in Seoul

1. Oreo’s 111th Birthday

2. Simmons Grocery Store

‘Simmons’ is a bedding brand. Simmons opened a lifestyle home goods store. A place where you can also eat/drink!

3. LG DIOS & Your Naked Cheese

A collaborative pop-up store between the wine cellar of electronics company ‘LG Dios’ and a popular cheese shop ‘YourNakedCheese.’

3. Natuur Secret Garden

Natuur is a Korean premium ice cream brand. Natuur Secret Garden is dessert concept store.

4. WONSOJU x DIESEL Pop-Up

The exterior of the pop-up store uses the color red, and the Diesel logo and Wonsoju logo are engraved to emphasize the identity of the two brands.

The pop-up store were divided into two floors: the first floor (limited editions of Diesel products and elemental spirits), and the second floor (where you can taste limited edition of WONSOJU).