The 4 Best Department Stores in Korea That Represent Korean Shopping Culture

Department Stores in Korea

In Korea, department stores are places where many people visit to hangout with friends, lovers, and family. They offer more services than just stores. People can get luxury goods, eat at a food court, enjoy exhibitions, go grocery shopping, or even watch a movie. They’re somewhat similar to malls, but more “premier.”

Galleria Luxury Hall

The 4 Biggest Department Stores in Korea

1. Lotte Department Store (롯데백화점)

With 32 branches nationwide, it’s the largest department store chain in Korea. It ranks first in the industry in terms of sales.

2. Shinsegae Department Store

Ranking second, it’s known for having
a wide range of luxury goods brands and large-sized luxury stores (13 branches)

3. Hyundai Department Store

Traditionally, it was most favored by high-income customers, but as the Shinsegae group became bigger in luxury goods market, it went down to third place. (16 branches)

4. Galleria Department Store

With only 6 branches, it ranks 4th in the industry. It’s the first store to introduce the concept of a ‘luxury hall’ in Korea. 

Directory

Most of the department stores in Korea have similar directory. (These days, there are some places that change the themes slightly by floor to reflect trends.) 

• On the highest floors, there are fancy, expensive restaurants.
• On the higher floors, there are duty-free shops that travelers can purchase products without taxes.
• On the middle floors, there are high-quality & contemporary brands, selling apparels, furnitures, shoes, bags, etc. 
• On the first floor, there are luxury goods brands, cosmetics, and fragrances.
• On the first basement floor, there are stores related to FOODS, such as food courts, grocery store, bakeries, and wine shops.

So, which department store should travelers go to?

You know, shopping is fun and it would be nice to shop anywhere ????

If you want to go to a place with a little more character, here are the 4 department store branches that we recommend for you to visit!

1. 신세계 백화점 센텀시티점
Shinsegae Department Store Centum City

35, Centum nam-daero, Haeundae-gu, Busan

Located in Busan, it’s the largest department store in the world and one of the first department stores in Korea that functions as a city’s landmark. It has +600 brand shops and provides different entertainment facilities, including a Korean spa called Spa Land (jjimjilbang), movie theater, ice-staking rink, golf range, bookstore, and more. 

2. 더 현대 서울
The Hyundai SEOUL

108, Yeoui-daero, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul

It’s the Hyundai Department Store Group’s “ambitious work” to bring back its fame. Well, it has been hugely successful. Becoming the hottest department store among younger generations, it’s on the verge of surpassing 1 trillion KRW in annual sales in the industry’s shortest period. Unlike typical department stores, it doesn’t have Hermes, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton stores, but many unique pop-up stores that provide ‘stories’ and ‘experiences’ for customers.

3. 롯데백화점 에비뉴엘 잠실점
Lotte Department Store Avenuel Jamsil

300, Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul

Being the largest department store in Seoul, it’s located next to the amusement park, Lotte World, the tallest building in Korea, Lotte World Tower. And it’s even close to Seokchon Lake Park (석촌호수공원) where there are beautiful cherry blossoms. 

4. 갤러리아 백화점 명품관
The Galleria Luxury Hall

343, Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Divided into EAST hall and WEST hall, it looks rather small compared to other department stores in Korea, but there’s not a single department store in Korea that can keep up with sales per area. It’s the first ever department store in Korea to open three major luxury brands: Hermes, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton and has the most luxury brands in Korea. Many luxury goods brands entering Korea, in fact, often launch at this department store for the first time.

—

UoH offers a personal assistant program with two types of services. For traveling in Korea, we assist with any type of reservations, rentals, and personal assistance. For shopping, we purchase anything you need and ship it to your home. Feel free to email us at [email protected] for a quote and to find out how to proceed!