Lotte Department Store signed Blackpink singer Jennie for a yearlong campaign. The deal follows foreign shoppers pushing international sales past 1 trillion won for the first time.
The agreement gives South Korea’s largest department store operator its first brand ambassador in seven years. It covers 31 domestic branches and four outlets in Vietnam and Indonesia.
Promotions launch in October across central transit hubs, including Incheon Airport and Seoul Station. Shinsegae Department Store counters without a formal contract. The rival chain, which operates 13 locations nationwide, features rookie group Allday Project member Annie on the digital screen outside its Myeong-dong flagship through Oct. 18. She is the daughter of Shinsegae Inc. Chair Chung Yoo-kyung.
Department store operators across East and Southeast Asia spent years phasing out celebrity-driven advertising in favour of direct luxury brand partnerships. Rising tourist traffic reversed that playbook in Seoul. Floor plans evolved from standard retail halls into cultural destinations for international visitors.
Foreign visitors spent 14.02 trillion won ($10.5 billion) on credit cards across South Korea from January through August. That represents a 48.5 percent increase from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Overseas visitors now generate almost 30 percent of total sales at the Myeong-dong flagships of both Lotte and Shinsegae. That share stood at 15 percent in 2024.
“By combining our ambassador’s global influence with Lotte Department Store’s brand value, we will widen our reach to customers worldwide,” said Lotte Department Store CEO Jung Hyun-seok.
Concentrated tourist demand inside central Seoul creates intense pressure on prime retail real estate.
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