Seoul: South Korea's three leading department stores reported record-breaking foreign sales for the first half of the year, fueled by the rising global interest in Korean fashion and cultural content.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the sales data from Hyundai Department Store, Shinsegae Department Store, and Lotte Department Store reveal that foreign purchases reached 500 billion won (US$332 million), 580 billion won, and 600 billion won, respectively, during the January-June period. These figures are approaching the full-year totals for 2025, indicating a significant surge in international consumer interest.
In the year 2025, foreign sales for Hyundai, Shinsegae, and Lotte were recorded at 700 billion won, 650 billion won, and 730 billion won, respectively. All three department stores are optimistic about surpassing the 1 trillion won mark in foreign sales by the end of the current year.
A representative from Lotte Department Store highlighted the dramatic increase in foreign sales at their Myeongdong branch in central Seoul, noting a 140 percent rise compared to the previous year. Foreign customers contributed to 70 percent of sales at Kinetic Ground, a section dedicated to K-fashion aimed at young global consumers. The customer demographic has diversified, now including a growing number of visitors from North America and Europe.
Hyundai Department Store aims to attract more international shoppers by enhancing its services and tailoring marketing strategies to specific store locations. The company has implemented advanced technologies such as the AI shopping assistant, HEYDI Global, and a real-time AI translation service launched this year to facilitate better communication between store employees and international customers.
The reliance on Chinese shoppers is diminishing as more non-Chinese customers emerge as key consumers of Korean products. A Shinsegae official noted that while Chinese customers accounted for nearly 78 percent of foreign sales in 2019, this figure declined to 48.5 percent in the first half of this year. Meanwhile, customers from the United States and other Asian countries represented 19 percent and 15 percent of foreign sales, respectively, during the same period.