Naver Webtoon said on the 25th that it will open a popup store using the "Maru Is a Puppers" IP, titled "Come visit Maru's forest bakery" (hereafter "Maru's forest bakery"). The popup store will run from Oct. 16 to 26 at the Atrium on the first floor of Lotte World Mall in Songpa District, Seoul, and advance reservations are available from 4 p.m. on Sept. 25 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 26.
"Maru's forest bakery" is themed around a forest space decorated by Maru and friends. The timid tiger character "Coco" will also appear, and about 150 types of merchandise will be sold on site. Ninety-nine new merchandise items and 23 animation merchandise items will be unveiled for the first time, and existing popular products will also be showcased.
"Maru Is a Puppers" is a webtoon that began serialization in June 2022 and concluded in Nov. 2023, and even after the conclusion, merchandise consumption, secondary creations, and community activities have continued. Based on this, Naver Webtoon has expanded its character business, and has operated popup stores at Coex Mall, The Hyundai Seoul, and Shinsegae Centum City in Busan. It has also expanded IP use through collaborations with GS Retail, Domino's Pizza, LG H&H, and Lotte World.
This popup store will be operated in connection with the "2025 World Webtoon Festival," which will be held from Oct. 19 to 22 at Lotte Town Jamsil. The event is an international event hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), marking its second edition this year.