"There are still many people who don't know that we operate Emart Mall. Unlike other e-commerce players, SSG.com has many strengths in fresh food, and we came out to Seongsu-dong to let more people know that."
Lee Myeong-geun, head of merchandise at SSG.com (SSG.com), said this at the popup store (temporary store) "Meezium" held on the 15th at S-Factory in Seongsu-dong, Seoul.
"Meezium" is SSG.com's first offline event. It runs in Seongsu-dong from today through the 19th. It showcases about 100 brands, including food and cosmetics sold on SSG.com.
Seongsu-dong, where popup stores of various brands such as fashion and beauty are concentrated, has recently emerged as a hotspot for Millennials and Gen Z (born 1980–2004) and as a representative tourist destination in Seoul. SSG.com chose Seongsu-dong as the venue for its first offline event meeting customers to create touchpoints with young consumers, its potential customers. Earlier, Coupang, Kurly, Musinsa, and Zigzag also held offline events in Seongsu-dong for customer experiences.
Lee said, "We prepared this event for about a year," adding, "COEX and the AT Center were also in the candidate pool, but we chose Seongsu-dong to promote the brand in a trendier place with many young consumers." According to the company, SSG.com's main customers are in their 30s to 50s.
Meezium, under the concept of a "selected museum," exhibits everything from dishes by star chefs to fresh food linked with Emart and a variety of beauty products. Visitors can purchase products on SSG.com via QR codes set up at each booth on-site. What sets it apart from conventional e-commerce offline festivals is that it highlights both food and beauty at the same time.
In particular, it emphasized SSG.com's "exclusive products" developed in-house and its "fresh food" capabilities based on Emart's sourcing. Exclusive meal kit products released in collaboration with star chefs including Kim Do-yun, Choi Ji-hyeong, Nam Jun-young, and Kim Geon are representative. The venue also features cooking talk shows and cooking demonstrations led by chefs.
A space was also created to highlight Emart Mall's competitiveness in fresh food. SSG.com operates about 100 PP (picking and packing) centers nationwide based on Emart stores and offers the "SSG weekly delivery" and "Baroquick," a service that delivers Emart products within one hour.
An SSG.com official explained, "We provide customers with the same products as Emart, which has the longest history in Korea and the largest number of excellent partners, under the same inspection standards and logistics routes."
Shinsegae Group's food and beverage (F&B) affiliates, including Starbucks, Shinsegae Food, and Shinsegae L&B, also joined to lend support. Starbucks unveiled its Christmas products ahead of the official launch on the 30th. This year's Starbucks Christmas MD features "Where's Wally?" along with tumblers, mugs, and keyrings. Shinsegae Food released meal kits and bakery products in collaboration with "Jungang Haejang" and master baker Park Jun-seo's "Awesome Bread."
It also set up cosmetics experience spaces for luxury brands such as Lancôme, Estée Lauder, SK-II, Guerlain, Byredo, and Dolce & Gabbana, as well as Amorepacific brands. There will also be busking performances by indie musicians.
Lee said, "Our differentiation strategy is to discover exclusive products based on Emart's high-quality fresh food," adding, "In the case of Chef Kim Je-eun, we were the first among retailers to collaborate, and later it was selected in the Michelin Guide Seoul 2026." As Gosari Express, run by Chef Kim, began exclusive sales on SSG.com, its monthly sales increased about 10 times compared with before entry.
Launched in March 2019 as an integrated platform overseeing Shinsegae Group's online business, SSG.com is seeking differentiation in the industry based on synergies with Emart. However, it has yet to turn a profit. Sales in the first half of this year were 707.1 billion won, down about 13% from a year earlier. The operating loss was 49.1 billion won, an increase of 18.2 billion won. In response, the company has focused on management efficiency measures such as transferring logistics operations to CJ Logistics and relocating its office from Centerfield in Yeoksam-dong to Yeongdeungpo.
The company plans to use this offline event to broaden customer touchpoints and strengthen platform competitiveness. An SSG.com official said, "This event is a venue to prove the platform's credibility and product competitiveness, and a stage where brands and customers meet directly," adding, "Depending on customer response, we will decide whether to hold future offline events."