"Shopping and Experience Simultaneously in Nature" ... Lotte's Future-Oriented Outlet 'Time Villas'

Reflecting the Unique Features of Uiwang Area Adjacent to Lakes and Mountains
Incorporating Diverse Content into Innovative Spaces like 'Glassville'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Following last month's opening of Lotte Department Store Dongtan Branch, Lotte Premium Outlet 'Time Villas' will open on the 10th in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. It targets consumers' needs who want to enjoy picnics and shopping together in open spaces post-pandemic and experience various offline experiences that cannot be felt online.

The Closest Suburban Outlet to Gangnam

The store name Time Villas carries the meaning of 'a space where time also wants to stay.' Beyond a simple shopping space, it aims to propose a complex cultural space with the concept of 'rest in nature' where men, women, and children of all ages can enjoy picnics together. With eco-friendly design and various experiential contents, it innovates the existing outlet. Spanning from basement level 2 to ground level 2, the total floor area is approximately 175,200㎡, where 245 brands can be found across four floors.

Baegun Lake and the nearby Barasan Mountain, where Time Villas is located, are places visited by many people not only on weekends but also on weekdays to enjoy excellent natural surroundings. It boasts optimal accessibility, being 30 minutes by car from Seoul Gangnam or Jamsil, and 20 minutes from Sadang, Bundang in Gyeonggi Province, Suwon, and Anyang.

Reflecting these characteristics, Time Villas challenges itself as a 'healing spot' representing the southern Gyeonggi region. The 10 'Glass Ville' structures, built like glass greenhouses in an approximately 9,300㎡ outdoor green space, offer unique scenery with Barasan Mountain as the backdrop. Each Glass Ville, appearing as an independent store, houses trendy brands with enhanced experiential elements, providing a different experience from existing stores. These include the caf? 'Podium,' which operates the entire coffee roasting and extraction process with a robot system; the living flagship store 'Simmons'; the eco-friendly experiential farm caf? 'THE BATT'; and the pet shop 'Coco Square.'

At the wide-open lawn area called 'Play Ville,' visitors can freely enjoy picnics. The 'Aqua Park,' where water play is possible in summer, and the 'Wild Park,' equipped with net-type play facilities, allow children to run freely against the backdrop of nature. Along the walking paths, about 1,000 birch trees have been planted to give the feeling of walking through a forest trail.

'Future-Type Store' Realized as a Differentiated Space

Time Villas complements the shortcomings of existing suburban outlet stores and reflects the latest trends. To avoid weather impacts such as rain or heatwaves, it has installed a 'retractable roof' and 'folding doors,' and the outdoor Glass Ville is connected to the stores on each basement level, allowing free movement regardless of weather.

Inside, various unique spaces where visitors can feel nature have been created. At the outlet entrance, the welcome plaza 'The Station' features a 30-meter-high transparent dome ceiling that lets in natural light, the second floor has a dining zone where visitors can enjoy meals while watching the sunset over Baegun Lake, and the rooftop has a 'Rooftop Picnic Plaza' with a lawn where visitors can enjoy picnics while admiring Baegun Lake and Barasan Mountain.

The 'Luminous Skate Bowl Park' installed in front of the main gate by world-renowned artist Koo Jung-ah is also distinctive. Artist Koo has installed experiential sculptures for skateboarding around the world, and Time Villas is the sixth in the world and the first in Korea to showcase this, following France, Australia, Brazil, Italy, and Denmark.

Experiential Contents Only Available Offline

Time Villas primarily focuses on children and infant content, reflecting the characteristics of suburban outlets that attract many customers with children. The 'Detrone Lounge' in Glass Ville is Korea's only flagship store combining a premium electric car showroom and a restaurant, where visitors can also enjoy electric car tours on the outdoor walking paths. A specialized children's furniture zone has been created, and the approximately 1,500㎡ indoor experiential sportainment content 'Bounce' has been introduced to add fun.

To cater to the rapidly increasing number of young golfers in their 30s and 40s, experiential elements have been enhanced in golf stores. The 'PXG' store, which introduced the first-ever putting bay for test swings in domestic distribution, allows customers to try clubs before purchasing, and 'Titleist' has entered in the form of 'TFC (Titleist Fitting Center),' combining a club factory store and a fitting specialty store. It features a 'bunker practice area' with special sand for putting and swing practice, and a total of 17 famous golf brands, including 'St. Andrews' and 'AK Golf,' can be found in one place.

A total of 47 diverse food and beverage (F&B) stores are also available. These include local favorites in the Uiwang area such as 'Olga,' 'Baegundong,' and 'Jeongwon Kalguksu,' as well as nationally famous restaurants like 'Iksundong 21,' 'Cheongdam Banjeom,' 'Samcheongdong Shabu,' and 'Deokin-gwan.'

Hwang Beom-seok, CEO of Lotte Shopping Department Store Division, said, "From the naming of Time Villas to the design, every aspect is differentiated from existing outlets," adding, "We hope it will become a representative complex cultural space in the southern Gyeonggi region where customers can enjoy rest in nature beyond simple shopping."

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