Seocho-gu, The Secret to Reviving Local Businesses Overcoming COVID-19?

Selected as a Pilot Area in Bangbae 2-dong ▲ Steering Committee of 10 Members Including Resident Autonomy Committee, Village Project Group, Residents Interested in Commercial Revitalization, and Merchants Living in Bangbae 2-dong... ▲ ‘Community Store’ Providing Book Rentals, Community Space, and Unmanned Parcel Lockers ▲ ‘Sonsugage’, a Safe Restaurant Using Local Agricultural Products ▲ ‘Mideumgage’, a Trustworthy Store Ensuring Hygiene and Disinfection Measures

Faith Store

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seocho-gu (Mayor Eunhee Jo) has selected Bangbae 2-dong as a pilot area to revitalize the neighborhood commercial district struggling due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and is promoting a resident-led ‘Living Commercial District Foundation Project.’

The ‘Living Commercial District Foundation Project’ is a project initiated to revive neighborhood loyal commercial districts that are gradually disappearing due to online shopping and large distribution networks. A total of eight areas were selected in Seoul, with Bangbae 2-dong chosen in Seocho-gu.

The project is carried out by a promotion committee composed of 10 local residents, including residents active in various functional organizations such as the Residents’ Autonomy Committee, Village Project Group, and Women’s Association; residents interested in commercial district revitalization; and merchants residing in Bangbae 2-dong representing the merchants’ interests.

Since this project selects and promotes stores that provide services residents need and where they can eat with peace of mind, it is differentiated from existing government-led commercial district revitalization projects.

Seocho-gu’s ‘Living Commercial District Foundation Project’ is divided into three parts: ▲Community Store creation, ▲Discovery of Handcrafted Stores, and ▲Operation of Trusted Stores. The promotion committee and the district office have been preparing the project since December last year.

First, the ‘Community Store’ refers to neighborhood stores that directly provide essential living services to residents.

In line with the shortage of libraries in Bangbae 2-dong, this includes a total of four places such as a book caf? and a book-hair salon (beauty salon) where books can be borrowed or read, two community spaces that residents can use for meetings or social gatherings free of charge, three unmanned parcel lockers, and five umbrella helper stores where umbrellas can be borrowed anytime.

Mr. Jungmo (in his 30s, resident of Bangbae 2-dong), who used these services, said, “Rather than installing floor murals or sculptures, services like the book caf? or unmanned parcel lockers that are necessary for daily life seem to be more practical help. I plan to use more neighborhood stores in the future.”

Next, two ‘Handcrafted Stores,’ which are our neighborhood’s safe restaurants using domestic agricultural products and natural ingredients to create flavors, are also operated. The ‘Handcrafted Store Planning Group’ directly discovered the vegan restaurant ‘Nammi Plant Lab,’ which uses agricultural products grown on its own farm and creates flavors with its own recipes, and ‘Bangbae Banjeom,’ which also uses domestic agricultural products and boasts a clean taste. After verifying the origin and hygiene status, they were certified as ‘Handcrafted Stores.’

The promotion committee will regularly inspect the origin and hygiene status to thoroughly manage the stores so that residents can eat with confidence.

Finally, to help neighborhood stores adapt to the consumption trends changed by COVID-19, 11 ‘Trusted Stores’ are also operated.

‘Trusted Stores’ refer to our neighborhood safe stores that can be trusted for both hygiene and quarantine, disinfecting every corner of the store daily and having all employees wear hygiene products without exception while working.

Also, in response to the increase in takeout orders due to COVID-19, support was provided to enable stores that did not previously offer takeout sales to do so, allowing residents to benefit.

The ‘Trusted Store Project’ started in mid-May and showed an effect of increasing sales by up to 80% at peak and an average of about 30% over one month.

A merchant participating in the project said, “I was very stressed during the difficult times due to COVID-19, but I am very grateful to receive help like a Santa Claus gift. I also feel that customers trust the hygiene status of the store, so I take more care in managing the store.”

The project target area is an alley between Isu Elementary School and Bangbae Lotte Castle Arte Apartments, where about 250 stores are located. Among them, 110 are restaurants, the largest number, and retail stores, beauty salons, laundries, and other living service industries make up the majority.

Although this area is near Sadang Station, a transportation hub, it is a side street mainly used by local residents with few outsiders, so the commercial district had been somewhat depressed.

Therefore, the district office decided to promote this project to revitalize the local commercial district together with residents.

The district office attached certification marks to a total of 20 stores participating in Bangbae 2-dong’s ‘Living Commercial District Foundation Project’ so that any resident can easily find them, adding more fun to exploring the alleys.

Mayor Eunhee Jo said, “We prepared this to help the neighborhood commercial district merchants who are struggling due to COVID-19 during the hot summer. We will continue to strive to create a neighborhood culture in Seocho-gu that coexists with residents.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.