Reopening Weekend Holiday, Lotte Suburban Outlet Bustling

Customers are watching Bellygom at Lotte Premium Outlet Time Villas.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] With the social distancing measures lifted and entering the family month of May, Lotte Outlet has started to bustle with visitors.

According to Lotte Department Store on the 4th, following the lifting of social distancing and the removal of the outdoor mask mandate, many customers visited suburban outlets over the weekend. Since the 1st, the Bellygom exhibition event presented by Lotte Premium Outlet Time Villas has been crowded with people. Approximately 35,000 customers visited that day, which is more than 30% higher than the average weekend visitor count from January to April. Many customers also flocked to 'Piggy Town,' which opened at Lotte Premium Outlet Paju on the 30th of last month.

Sales at Lotte Outlet have also increased. For the 'THINGS I LOVE (I love everything I love!)' themed exhibition ongoing at all Lotte Outlet stores since the 29th of last month, total sales until the 1st increased by more than 30% compared to the previous year. Product categories related to outdoor activities such as golf, outdoor gear, leisure, and infant products grew by over 40-50%.

Suburban outlets, which saw many visitors due to the reopening, experienced a 35% increase in sales during the same period, and F&B sales at suburban outlets jumped by more than 70%.

Accordingly, Lotte Outlet will present various events including outdoor activities and promotions of popular brands during the golden holiday period from the 5th to the 8th.

At Time Villas, until the 22nd, customers who post with the hashtag ‘Time Villas Bellygom’ on social media will receive a Bellygom photo printing service. At six Lotte Premium Outlet stores, until the 8th, a ‘Toy Upcycling’ event is being held where participants can create their own toys from discarded ones and donate broken toys.

At the Icheon store, busking performances will be held on the 7th and 8th; at the Giheung store, a parade event and photo time with Marvel Iron Man and dolls will take place on the 7th; and at the Paju store, various events including face painting will be offered until the 8th.

Lotte Outlet showcases various popular brands that visitors must visit, such as sports megastores and refurbished stores. First, the ‘Nike’ store at the Premium Outlet Giheung branch spans about 600 pyeong and offers a full line of Nike products including women’s, running, and kids’ items. Customers who purchase over 200,000 KRW by the 8th (Sunday) will receive a ‘Summer Mesh Bag’ on a first-come, first-served basis.

Discount events are also being offered. Until the 8th (Sunday), at six Premium Outlet stores, customers purchasing from over 40 infant and children’s brands including ‘New Balance Kids’ and ‘Off Label’ will receive up to an additional 20% discount along with Lotte gift certificates worth about 5%. Additionally, Time Villas is hosting a ‘Lego Pop-up Store’ offering gifts based on purchase amounts, and the Paju store is offering up to 60% off ‘New Balance Kids’ products until the 11th.

Goo Seong-hoe, head of Lotte Department Store’s Outlet Business Division, said, “Many customers who had been unable to engage in outdoor activities due to COVID-19 flocked outdoors starting last weekend, resulting in large crowds at events like the Bellygom exhibition prepared by Lotte Outlet. We expect even more customers to go on outings in the future, and we will strive to make Lotte Outlet a landmark representing each region.”

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