"Come Shopping with Your Pets" Lotte Department Store Strengthens 'Pet Friendly' Spaces

A customer engaging in activities with their pet dog at the Ilsan branch of Francois Pet store.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] Lotte Department Store is transforming into a premium pet care department store by creating ‘pet-friendly’ spaces.

According to industry sources on the 12th, Lotte Department Store opened ‘Francois Pet,’ a total pet care service brand, at its Ilsan branch on the 9th. Francois Pet is a brand that provides all-in-one services such as supplies, grooming, and activity training needed throughout a pet’s life cycle. It operates nine branches nationwide and is gaining attention in the pet market by importing products from Europe and the United States, as well as exporting self-produced items such as pet food and clothing worldwide.

This store offers a ‘one-stop’ service for all dog-related needs, including dog kindergarten, grooming, hotel, activity center, and product sales, allowing personalized curation tailored to the dog’s preferences and personality. Additionally, it introduces ‘Cafe Pre,’ a cafe where customers can enter accompanied by their dogs.

At the Ilsan Francois Pet store, kindergarten, hotel, and grooming services are operated first. The kindergarten runs daily different educational programs such as basic manners, fitness, and agility for social, physical, and cognitive activities with professional trainers. The dog hotel service is also provided, where dogs spend daytime playing with other dogs under trainers’ supervision and receive rest and relaxation support in the evening. Grooming services include cuts, baths, and spas, and the entire grooming process is visible through glass doors, allowing pet owners to trust and leave their dogs with confidence.

In August, Lotte Department Store opened ‘Rookie Park,’ the largest pet park in a domestic department store where dogs can freely run outdoors, and ‘Withland,’ which offers premium total services for dogs, at its Dongtan branch. Currently, Rookie Park and Withland attract many customers not only from Dongtan but also from outside areas, with monthly visitors exceeding 1,000.

At the Time Villas branch, outdoor areas allow dogs to walk freely, and the store is equipped with dog hooks and pet stroller parking spaces, receiving positive responses from customers accompanied by dogs. Additionally, ‘Coco Square,’ a premium complex facility for pet households, features a pet swimming pool with aqua fitness and fine dining where pets and owners can dine together.

Oh Se-eun, head of Lotte Department Store’s Lifestyle Division, said, “The introduction of pet-friendly content is becoming an essential element in domestic department stores as the pet market grows,” adding, “We will continue to strengthen pet-related stores and strive to make Lotte Department Store a premium pet care department store.”

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