Lotte Department Store & Mart Recruit Members for Fall Semester Cultural Center... Strengthening Small Group Classes

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Lotte Department Store and Lotte Mart will begin recruiting members for the 'Fall Semester Culture Center' starting on the 23rd. Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the programs will be operated with a small, elite group.

Lotte Department Store recently launched hiking gatherings in collaboration with Black Yak, considering the spread of outdoor and camping popularity among the 20s and 30s age group and the active lifestyle culture. Courses such as local hiking at Achasan and moonlight running along Cheonggyecheon after work are offered. They also opened a beginner’s car camping guide course with Dong-i Appa, the operator of Korea’s largest car camping community.

Practical courses under the theme of ‘Tradition’ that explore the beauty of Korean heritage are also introduced. A representative cooking class involves making Bandongchimi, a traditional family heirloom kimchi, in connection with ‘Nampagotak,’ a traditional Korean table setting restaurant opening at the Gangnam branch at the end of July.

Additionally, reflecting the trend of increased interest in rice and wheat consumption and meals due to the rise of home-cooked meal enthusiasts and staying-at-home lifestyles, courses themed around ‘rice’ and ‘noodles’ have been prepared. These include ‘Rice Stories’ with Dongne Jeongmiso, ‘Culinary Anthropology’ with documentary producer PD Lee Wook-jung of 'Noodle Road,' Chef Park Eun-young’s Yoonsangseul ramen recipe featured on MBC’s variety show 'Hangout with Yoo,' and premium seasonal pot rice making classes.

Moreover, courses on ‘Parenting in the Untact Era’ are also prepared. On August 22, an admissions planning lecture by Jin Dong-seop, the actual model for Kim Joo-young in JTBC’s drama 'SKY Castle,' will be held at the Pyeongchon branch. ‘Dr. Noh Gyu-sik’s Wise Parenting Life’ classes will be offered from October at the Suwon and Gwangbok branches, along with numerous book talks by authors of major parenting books such as 'Mom’s Book Parenting' and 'Miracle Dad Parenting.'

Popular last semester, the art museum walks and the 2030 office workers’ reading club ‘Booking (Book+ing) Club’ will recruit their second term at the main branch this semester. Additionally, active senior gatherings and Moms Club will be held at various branches.

Lotte Mart Eunpyeong Branch Culture Center. (Photo by Lotte Mart)

Lotte Mart has set the themes for this fall semester’s culture center as ‘Classes for Prospective Entrepreneurs,’ ‘Small Elite Premium Safe Classes,’ ‘Online Smart Classes,’ and ‘On-site Lessons: Hansol Education’s Amazing Math Land.’

At the Eunpyeong, Yangpyeong, and Samsan branches, startup consulting classes are offered for prospective entrepreneurs by specialized partner companies operating in Lotte Mart. In these classes, partner company representatives introduce their brands, explain the startup process, and provide tips on the overall startup journey for prospective entrepreneurs.

Small elite and non-face-to-face classes have also been strengthened. To accommodate customers who avoid contact with others, the number of classes conducted with 2-3 participants has increased. Various classes such as dance, hobby crafts, and musical instrument lessons are organized in small groups to allow customers to visit the culture center with peace of mind.

For customers who also avoid contact with small groups, video classes enabling interactive communication in a non-face-to-face format are prepared. For example, the Cheongna branch offers 1:1 piano lessons via video call, and the Songdo branch conducts Zumba dance classes using video call applications.

Furthermore, the culture center has launched the ‘Amazing Math Land’ class for the first time. This play-based math teaching aid course is designed for children aged 3 to 4 years old, and counseling with parents is conducted after the class. The course is offered at the Eunpyeong branch and 30 other locations, and all enrolled members receive four premium picture books for young children.

Lotte Mart plans to strictly adhere to hygiene management by complying with life quarantine rules and creating a safe learning environment through thorough disinfection, temperature checks, mask-wearing recommendations, and visitor list management.

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