On the afternoon of the 19th, cheerful carols were ringing out across the World Park Plaza at Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Seoul. In the center of the plaza, a 13-meter Christmas tree soared skyward as if to pierce the sky, and next to it, a carousel spun round and round, scattering twinkling lights.
Starting on the 20th and running through Jan. 4 next year, Lotte Department Store will host the "Lotte Town Christmas Market" here. A day before opening, on-site staff were busily moving about, putting the finishing touches on preparations.
Lotte Department Store's Christmas market launched in 2023 with the goal of recreating an authentic European Christmas atmosphere in Jamsil. It drew 240,000 visitors in its first year and 400,000 last year, establishing itself as a signature winter event in Jamsil.
This year, Lotte Department Store expanded the event area to 800 pyeong, about 10% larger than last year. The plaza features a "large Christmas tree" 13 meters tall, a "snow shower" that sprays artificial snow, and a "two-story carousel" that can carry about 30 people at once. There are 51 event booths surrounding the venue, offering a variety of options including gifts, food and beverage (F&B), and hands-on shops.
This year's Christmas market entrance has been placed adjacent to the Lotte World Mall entrance. The aim is to naturally guide visitors coming to Jamsil for the event into the interior.
The Christmas market and other events held in Jamsil are generating synergy in step with Lotte Group's "Jamsil town strategy." The Jamsil area is drawing attention as a tourist attraction with different events each season. Every March, Lotte Group holds a cherry blossom festival linked to Seokchon Lake, and in May it collaborates with the popular intellectual property Pokémon to host the "Pokémon Town" event. In October, the fall running event "Style Run" takes place across Songpa District.
To revive offline retail after COVID-19 and respond to e-commerce, Lotte Group has designated the Jamsil area—including department stores, a luxury hall, and shopping malls—as "Lotte Town Jamsil," focusing on improving content and expanding synergy among affiliates.
To that end, in 2021 the group transferred operating rights for Lotte World Mall to Lotte Shopping and, led by Lotte Department Store, embarked on a major revamp of the mall. In the process, it brought in a slate of flagship stores targeting the "Zalpha" consumer segment (a term combining Generation Z, born in the mid-1990s and later, and Generation Alpha, born after 2010), including Apple Store, Ader Error, Mardi Mercredi, Emis, and HAGO HAUS. Various pop-up stores and photo zones were also installed throughout. Over the past two years, more than 100 stores have newly opened or been renovated at Lotte World Mall, and more than 600 pop-ups have been held.
Alongside this, Lotte Group is actively expanding synergy among its affiliates in the Jamsil area. Jamsil is home to Lotte World Mall, the Lotte Department Store Jamsil main building and the Avenue L hall (luxury hall), as well as Lotte World Tower, Lotte World Adventure, and Lotte Hotel World and Signiel Seoul.
Lotte Group plans to offer a differentiated experience to tourists visiting Jamsil by enabling them to enjoy shopping, sightseeing, culture, and lodging all in one area. In fact, the "Seoul Sky" observatory on the 123rd floor of Lotte World Tower is popular as a must-visit course for foreign tourists. The adjacent Lotte World Adventure and aquarium also benefit greatly from linked visits.
Tourists who enjoy shopping at Lotte World Mall and the department store can also take in an orchestra performance at the Lotte Concert Hall, located in the same building, or view exhibitions at the Lotte Museum. They can also stay at the five-star Lotte Hotel.
Buoyed by this synergy effect, sales at Lotte Department Store's Jamsil branch, including the luxury hall and the large shopping mall, rose from 179.73 billion won in 2021 to 305 billion won last year. Lotte Department Store is fully renovating the Jamsil main building and aims to reach 4 trillion won in sales in 2027 through this effort.
A Lotte official said, "We will continue to plan diverse events to attract both domestic and foreign tourists, and help steer Jamsil's growth into a global mixed-theme complex."