This is the first store in the country.
Around 11 a.m. on the 26th, a long line caught the eye as I entered Shinsegae Department Store, connected to the Gangnam Subway Line 3 at the Express Bus Terminal Station in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. These were people waiting to enter 'Beton Kitsune,' a seasonal menu store that the salt bread specialty brand Beton debuted here.
Shinsegae Department Store opened a huge food court nearly the size of three soccer fields, measuring 19,834 square meters (about 6,000 pyeong), on the basement level of its Gangnam branch. Following the launch of the dessert specialty store 'Sweet Park' last February, Shinsegae has completed the 'Gangnam Store Food Court Project' with the opening of the 'Premium Deli' specialty store, after also introducing the gourmet store 'House of Shinsegae' and supermarket 'Shinsegae Market.' According to Shinsegae, this is the largest food court among department stores in the country.
This project draws attention as it is the first project of Jung Yu-kyung, president of Shinsegae, who was promoted last October.
The premium deli specialty store that opened that day is about 4,000 square meters (approximately 1,200 pyeong) in size and collaborated with top food and beverage (F&B) professionals from various fields, including Asian, Korean, and Western cuisines.
The first stores to open include 'Seoyon,' a Korean noodle brand by Kim Do-yoon, a Michelin One-Star restaurant owner chef and a participant in the Netflix entertainment program 'Culinary Class Wars;' 'Hwadonjeomjeong,' a charcoal-grilled pork rice brand from a popular restaurant in Jeju; 'Wasabi Green,' a poke and salad specialty store run by master An Yoo-seong, also from 'Culinary Class Wars;' and Shinsegae Food's 'Vecchia Enuvo Gastro.'
Alongside this, Japan's representative onigiri specialty store 'Kyoto Onimaru,' Vietnam's Hanoi health food restaurant 'Blue Butterfly,' and Belgium's chocolate brand Godiva's crepe store 'Godiva Crepe' also launched their first stores in the country.
A health specialty store was also established in line with the wellness trend. It offers products tailored to various situations such as sports, sleep, and stress, along with health supplements. A traditional liquor specialty store has also been set up, showcasing over 200 traditional liquors, including 'Haechang Daejanggyong 82,' which costs over 20 million won.
Shinsegae Gangnam's store recorded a transaction volume of 3.2325 trillion won last year, ranking first among 68 department store locations in the country. This year, it aims for an annual transaction volume of 4 trillion won based on the large food court. According to industry reports, Shinsegae Gangnam's sales in the first half of the year are said to have increased by 10% compared to the previous year.
The reason for strengthening the 'food' content at the top store in the country lies in the significant synergy in terms of sales and attracting customers. According to industry reports, food accounts for about 10% of department store sales.
Shinsegae aims for the Gangnam food court to be a 'global gourmet destination.' The goal is to connect it to the F&B space of Shinsegae Central City, 'Phamie Station,' providing various gourmet opportunities through a total food court spanning 10,000 pyeong.
A Shinsegae official noted, 'Food has a lower customer price than fashion items, but it is evaluated to have a high customer attraction effect and synergy in the subsequent revenue it generates.' They added, 'We will offer a unique gourmet experience at this location.'