On the morning of the 10th, the fresh produce display on basement level 1 of House of Shinsegae Cheongdam in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors displayed in an open space like a fashion store window sparkled under bright lights.
Shinsegae Department Store closed this store, which had been operating under the name SSG Food Market Cheongdam, in Nov. 2023 and unveiled it anew on this day after about two years of renovations. The name House of Shinsegae is a brand first introduced at the premium food hall of the Gangnam branch that opened last year. A Shinsegae Department Store official said, "While maintaining the brand identity of a premium food hall, we reconfigured the interior to fit the Cheongdam commercial district. This is the first time Shinsegae Department Store has created a premium food hall outside a department store."
House of Shinsegae Cheongdam goes beyond a conventional food hall focused on grocery shopping to emphasize creating a "stay-type retail space" where people can linger in the city and discover their tastes. Basement level 1 houses TWELVE, a new food hall introduced by Shinsegae. Billing itself as a "food hall like a fashion magazine," TWELVE highlights signature products in separate displays, adopting for groceries the merchandising methods of fashion stores, where the colors and textures of products are arranged to catch the eye.
The pantry, a specialty grocery on basement level 1, showcases more than 6,000 carefully selected wellness groceries. Shinsegae Department Store food team MDs (merchandisers) spent the past two years visiting overseas food fairs and have stocked many exclusively sourced products. Mr. Freed, a British premium snack brand made with selected superfoods such as avocados, chia seeds and blue corn, and Holy, a customized cereal brand using 100% natural organic ingredients for high protein and low glycemic index, are being introduced to Korea for the first time.
It also offers PB (private brand) products developed by TWELVE for customers pursuing a healthy lifestyle. The lineup includes about 40 items, ranging from wellness chips containing protein, dietary fiber and probiotics to organic milk and yogurt created in collaboration with Michelin-starred chefs, and TWELVE butter made with non-sterilized raw milk.
One wall of the pantry features a floor-to-ceiling window that offers a sweeping view of the outdoor central garden. Park Hyun-beom, head of food planning at Shinsegae Department Store, said, "Department stores typically don't have windows, but here we boldly installed them so people can directly see the changing seasons. We plan to use the space by placing seasonal ingredients on the display stands beneath the windows."
Also on basement level 1 is a smoothie bar called TWELVE WONDER BAR. It sells about 40 smoothies and cold-pressed juices made on the spot with nutrient-rich ingredients such as ginseng, maca, hemp seeds and kale.
The deli for on-the-spot dining also received an upgrade. Fermentation: Storehouse, which modernizes Korean cuisine based on seasonal domestic ingredients by the Shinsegae Korean Food Lab, has opened. Another deli, TWELVE Kitchen, offers salads, grilled dishes and rice bowls by stylishly reinterpreting popular dishes from around the world. A key feature is that customers can combine items to create "my own plate," with as many as about 900 possible variations.
The ground floor was created as a space reflecting modern tastes in fashion, alcohol and dining. CLEAR, a specialty liquor shop, focuses on "clear spirits" that are popular these days, such as white wine, champagne and sake. Sake, in particular, is hard to find in the general market because it is mostly distributed through high-end sushi restaurants, but here the store carries more than 160 varieties.
Inside CLEAR is Monologue, a hidden dining restaurant offering premium kaiseki cuisine with eight seats and operating entirely by reservation. Also on the ground floor are Men on the Boon, a menswear brand developed by Shinsegae International, and Zaa, a womenswear brand.
Choi Won-joon, executive managing director in charge of food and lifestyle at Shinsegae Department Store, said, "House of Shinsegae Cheongdam is a new retail space that connects life, taste and the everyday as envisioned by Shinsegae," adding, "We will continue to bolster diverse content and services so customers can enjoy a more comfortable and enriching experience here."