On the morning of the 31st, in the Seocho District of Seoul. After walking for about 2 minutes along Gangnam-daero from Exit 7 of Sinnonhyeon Station, a gray building prominently featuring the 'MUSINSA' logo caught the eye. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass surrounding the store, mannequins dressed in unique outfits were displayed.
The interior of the store showcased a harmonious blend of silver and white, creating a modern atmosphere. Garments were densely hung on hangers lining the hallway, along with brand names. This is the large fashion edit shop 'MUSINSA Store Gangnam', set to open on the 1st of next month.
'MUSINSA Store' is a curated shop that features various brands available on MUSINSA, unlike 'MUSINSA Standard' stores that only sell MUSINSA's private brand (PB) products. The Gangnam location utilizes three floors, from the first to the second above ground, with a total area of 1,170㎡ (approximately 354 pyeong).
Based on data collected through its online store, MUSINSA filled this space with over 130 brands, of which 100 consist of domestic fashion and accessory brands. The variety of products available in the store reaches 6,000.
Among the domestic brands featured here, more than 80 are emerging and small-scale designer brands that do not have their own stores in the Gangnam area. A MUSINSA representative noted, "The intent is to gather and introduce rising online-based brands that have been difficult to find offline."
The Gangnam location is MUSINSA's fourth offline edit shop following those in Daegu, Hongdae, and Seongsu. The strategic positioning reflects the demands of young people, such as office workers and students, and global customers visiting Gangnam. Signage is available in English, Japanese, and Chinese, and the store also offers tax-free payment options to enhance the shopping convenience for foreign customers.
'MUSINSA Store Gangnam' was structured based on accumulated customer data and business district analysis gathered from operating 'MUSINSA Standard Gangnam' since 2022. A notable detail is that the first floor is filled with unisex and women's fashion brands, reflecting the high flow of women in their 20s in the Gangnam area.
Another distinctive feature of 'MUSINSA Store Gangnam' is the proposed brand curation by keyword according to target and style. For instance, 'MUSINSA Young' focuses on casual unisex brands, while 'MUSINSA Girls' is composed mainly of unique brands for female customers in their teens and twenties. Additionally, 'MUSINSA for Women' targets contemporary brands for women aged 25 to 35, and 'MUSINSA Work & Formal' specializes in workwear or office attire for men.
One wall on the first floor is filled with over 670 types of shoes. This is the 'MUSINSA Shoes' section, which gathers popular shoe brands from both domestic and international markets. A MUSINSA representative stated, "This space represents MUSINSA's identity, starting from 'a place filled with countless shoe photos,' and it will also be used for early releases of new products or sales of MUSINSA-exclusive items."
Every product is attached with a QR code that, when scanned with a smartphone, quickly redirects shoppers to the product detail page within the MUSINSA app (application). This allows customers to receive the same online member benefits from MUSINSA, such as tiered discounts and reward points.
MUSINSA plans to actively expand its offline edit shop business, starting with the opening of the Gangnam location. The cumulative number of visitors to the three MUSINSA stores in the first half of this year reached 2 million. They specifically noted that the Hongdae and Seongsu locations had nearly half of their visitors being foreign customers, confirming sufficient global demand.
MUSINSA plans to consistently introduce offline stores specialized for target customers, styles, and categories, such as 'MUSINSA Girls' and 'MUSINSA Shoes.' In the first half of next year, they will open 'MUSINSA Mega Store Seongsu,' covering a scale of 6,600㎡ (approximately 2,000 pyeong). This site is expected to become a super-sized complex store encompassing fashion, beauty, shoes, sports, and food and beverage (F&B).
A MUSINSA representative mentioned, "We will provide opportunities for domestic designer brands with high growth potential, based on online platforms, to meet more customers offline, strengthening not only market expansion but also our role as a hub for the global advancement of Korean fashion."