Seongdong-gu Opens Fashion Store with Cafe 'N-TREE'

Opened 'N-TREE' Store, a Combined Clothing Store and Cafe Space to Revitalize Fashion Sewing Industry... Nanum Sewing Cooperative Newly Selected as Village Enterprise This Year... Generating Revenue and Expanding Market Through Trend Store

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that the newly selected village enterprise this year, ‘Nanum Sewing Cooperative,’ has opened the ‘N-TREE’ store, which combines a clothing store and a cafe, in Wangsimni Doseon-dong to help sewing companies achieve stable profit generation and develop sales channels.

A ‘village enterprise’ refers to a business established by local residents to solve common regional issues and create jobs through profit-making activities utilizing local resources.

This project, as part of the ‘2020 Village Enterprise Development Project,’ aimed to operate a shop-in-shop type store combining a cafe and clothing store to provide a hot place where the younger generation and fashion enthusiasts can enjoy fashion and relaxation simultaneously, thereby promoting regular and stable profit generation.

Seongdong-gu is the area with the highest number of workers in the textile manufacturing industry and is adjacent to the Dongdaemun wholesale market, which offers advantages such as rapid logistics and ease of transactions. It is densely populated with small businesses with fewer than five employees.

The cooperative has been recognized for its corporate viability, community spirit, public interest, and locality through cost reduction by bulk purchasing and job sharing among workplaces. Additionally, since 2017, it has contributed to environmental protection through a fabric scrap recycling project in cooperation with Seongdong-gu.

Shin Chi-woo, Chairman of Nanum Sewing Cooperative, said, “The cafe ‘N-TREE’ symbolizes growing together from one root like a single tree, sharing difficulties and connecting in a united world.” He added, “Since sewing companies face seasonal fluctuations with only about nine months of operation per year, making self-sustainability difficult, this initiative aims to alleviate off-season management difficulties by directly selling products through offline store operations rather than wholesale.”

The cooperative plans not only to operate offline stores but also to conduct joint sales through collaboration with local cafes and attractions. They also intend to participate in various events and flea markets hosted by public institutions on weekends when there is no vehicle delivery.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “The mutual growth of small sewing companies utilizing local resources can realize community benefits and solve regional problems.” He added, “I hope that beyond operating offline stores, they will establish themselves as a successful local business model by producing new products using proprietary technology and developing their own brand.”

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