[Distribution Hot People] EPL Pop-up Store Recognized by 'Chukdeok' Fans... "We Have to Go to PSG"

Sanghyun Park, Chief Buyer of Lifestyle Team, Lotte Department Store Outlet Division

EPL Pop-up Store Opens at Department Store and Outlet
Over 50,000 Visitors, Popular Among Jamboree Participants
"Most Proud When Recognized by Soccer Enthusiasts"

"A successful project is one that is recognized by the enthusiasts. When I heard people say, 'This was made by someone from our department,' I was so happy I almost cried."

This summer, which was scorching hot, a popup store that excited the hearts of chukdeok (a portmanteau of soccer and enthusiast) was held at Lotte Department Store’s main branch and outlet. Three EPL clubs with many fans in Korea?Manchester City, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur?gathered in one place. The popup store was held simultaneously at five locations from July 16 to August 2, including Seoul, Time Villas (Uiwang) in Gyeonggi Province, Buyeo in Chungcheongnam-do, Cheongju in Chungcheongbuk-do, and Busan. It even stirred the hearts of local chukdeok, and during the event period, more than 50,000 people visited. The Lotte Department Store main branch was also selected as a "must-visit place in Korea" on social media by jamboree participants from the UK and the US.

Sanghyun Park, Chief Buyer of the Lifestyle Team at Lotte Department Store Outlet Division, is posing at the EPL Club Union Pop-up 'Football Standard' event held on the B1 floor of Lotte Department Store Main Branch.
[Photo by Lotte Department Store]

Lotte Department Store is the only one worldwide to gather EPL overseas soccer clubs and hold a popup store. Leading the planning and securing of this event were Chief Buyer Park Sang-hyun of the Lifestyle Team and his colleagues from the Outlet Marketing Team. Meeting Park at Lotte Department Store’s main branch in Jung-gu, Seoul, he explained, "There are so many EPL fans in Korea, but I always wondered why no events were held. I value investing in experiences as much as soccer itself, and I think this idea was well reflected in the popup store."

This popup store was made possible because of the 'House of Tottenham' popup store held last July at Lotte Department Store Gangnam branch. Park, the chief buyer, was the mastermind behind its success. The story of how he, then a store employee, tracked down the company holding Tottenham’s license rights just by hearing that Tottenham was coming to Korea and even opened a popup store is well known within the company. He didn’t stop at securing the Tottenham popup store; noticing that the license holder was a clothing company, he also planned the sale of Tottenham-related apparel. To share the 'real' story of Tottenham with customers, he bought meals and drinks for the Tottenham supporters group 'Lilywhites' and borrowed historic Tottenham uniforms, goods, and soccer balls to display at the department store.

Jamboree participants who visited Korea to attend the World Jamboree are touring the EPL club alliance pop-up event "Football Standard" held at the Cosmo Nergy Plaza on the B1 floor of Lotte Department Store Main Branch.
[Photo by Lotte Department Store]

The company he worked with is Football Standard, which also co-hosted this EPL popup store. Football Standard leveraged its experience with the Tottenham popup store to secure licenses for Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal. When Park moved to the head office’s Outlet Marketing Team, he proposed and executed the idea of showcasing four clubs at once in a popup store. There were some twists and turns. After the great success of the Tottenham popup store, other companies aggressively entered sports marketing, trying to recruit Football Standard. Park said, "We strategized to use outlets to showcase EPL popup stores nationwide, not just stay in Seoul." He actively promoted meticulous planning, such as graphically working on the emblems of EPL clubs on photos of Buyeo outlet’s Hanok-style exterior.

He did not carelessly arrange the emblems or the order of the clubs in the stores. He considered the atmosphere of each store and the characteristics of its customers. For example, at the Buyeo outlet with a Hanok exterior, the emblems were installed vertically on each pillar to harmonize with the Hanok style. At the Busan branch, knowing that many Japanese tourists like Arsenal, the popup store was arranged to make Arsenal’s emblem and red color more prominent. This passion earned high satisfaction from the clubs for the domestic EPL popup store. Officials from Manchester City who visited Korea showed great interest in the VIP kit, which included scarves and hand fans commemorating Manchester City’s 'treble' (winning three competitions in one season: domestic league, cup, and continental Champions League), and reportedly inquired about purchasing it.

Overview of the EPL Club Alliance Pop-up 'Football Standard' held at Lotte Premium Outlet Buyeo Branch.
[Photo by Lotte Department Store]

Park added, "Although there was some regret as we had to proceed with only three clubs due to coordination issues with Liverpool, the overlap of Manchester City’s treble achievement and their visit to Korea seemed to attract more consumer interest." During the popup store period, many posts appeared on internet soccer cafes and blogs about visiting the outlets for the popup store, looking for companions, or writing reviews. One soccer fan expressed high satisfaction, calling it "a detail that touches the heart of chukdeok."

Park is a seasoned planner with about 10 years of experience in sports-related content planning. He said, "As more Korean players advance to Europe, I expect domestic fans’ interest to grow not only in the EPL but also in new clubs like PSG. We will also strive to provide new experiences to customers in other sports fields."

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