Lotte Department Store Gwangju to Completely Renovate All Floors After 7 Years

Creation of Honam's Largest Premium Living Complex Spanning 3 Floors with 5,600㎡

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Shin Dong-ho] Lotte Department Store Gwangju Branch (Store Manager Na Yeon) is transforming into a premium lifestyle department store through a large-scale full-floor renewal.

The renewal work of Lotte Department Store Gwangju Branch, which began with the renovation of the underground food section last September, has continued this year from fashion to living product categories, bringing bold changes across all floors for the first time in seven years since 2014.

Along with the redevelopment of Dong-gu, which had been relatively underdeveloped due to urban hollowing, and the revival of the original downtown commercial district, Lotte Department Store Gwangju Branch introduced store reorganizations and various contents reflecting the lifestyle of local residents through this renewal.

In particular, a premium living comprehensive hall where home goods such as electronics, furniture, bedding, and interior items can be purchased in one stop is being established on the largest scale in the region, covering 5,600㎡ (1,700 pyeong). The lifestyle specialty hall on the 8th floor completed its renewal and opened on the 10th, and along with the existing 9th-floor electronics specialty hall, a new interior specialty hall will open on the 10th floor in November, completing a living comprehensive hall spanning three floors.

This is interpreted as a strategy to capture the demand for home goods and interior items due to the increase in newly supplied apartments in the region and to meet the increasingly diverse needs of customers.

First, a variety of imported premium living brands were introduced for the first time in the region. High-end imported furniture famous in Northern Europe and the U.S., such as Switzerland's 'Vitra', America's 'Herman Miller', Finland's 'Artek', and Denmark's 'Tolv', as well as imported bedding brands including the British royal-certified 'Peter Reed', America's 'Ralph Lauren Home', and Germany's 'Hugo Boss Home' were brought in.

For beds, high-end lines of brands were introduced. 'Ace Bed' showcased the Heritz line, its top mattress line, for the first time in the Gwangju area, and 'Simmons Bed' strengthened its Black Line. Additionally, experience zones where customers can directly try comfortable sleeping spaces were set up for each brand.

Also, the 'Odense Dynette' flagship store, a living edit brand gaining popularity through exposure in dramas and entertainment programs, was introduced for the first time in the region. Premium wine glasses, which have naturally gained popularity alongside the demand for wine, such as 'Riedel' and 'Schott Zwiesel', were also added.

Furthermore, reflecting customers' remodeling demands for living spaces and interior needs, 'LX Hausys', specializing in interior consulting, will open in November.

Yoon Ji-won, senior buyer at Lotte Department Store Gwangju Branch, said, "We have expanded customers' choices for home goods by introducing a large number of imported premium living brands, reasonably priced design furniture, and rising brands recently favored by consumers."

Not only the premium living store but also overseas luxury brands have been reborn as a luxury specialty hall through renovations.

This year, overseas fashion brands increased by about 40% compared to last year with the addition of 'Off-White', 'Dolce & Gabbana', and 'Moose Knuckles'. The semi-jewelry store on the first floor moved to the second floor, and the first floor was reborn as a specialty hall exclusively for luxury goods.

For the MZ generation, emerging as a major consumer group of luxury goods, the assortment and brands of products such as sneakers and clothing, as well as bags, were strengthened. 'Prada' renewed by reinforcing men's and women's clothing lines, and 'Balenciaga', which led the ugly shoe trend, was introduced. The British luxury fashion brand 'Alexander McQueen' will be unveiled in October.

Additionally, a children's store newly opened in July in the space vacated by 'Uniqlo', and a 'Nike' megashop of about 150 pyeong is scheduled to open in November.

Na Yeon, store manager of Lotte Department Store Gwangju Branch, said, "The renewal work, which began with the food hall last year, has mostly been completed with the opening of the premium living store," adding, "We will provide various brands and contents to local residents and become the representative department store of the region."

Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Shin Dong-ho sdhs6751@asiae.co.kr

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