Shinsegae, the Next Step After 'Gwangyeok 1 Beonji'... Why They Are Focusing on Art

A Place Visited Like Everyday Life... 'Art' at the Core of Complex Cultural Spaces
'Artistic Inspiration in Customers' Daily Lives' Channel Differentiation Effect

Shinsegae, which promotes itself as an 'art retail,' is putting great effort into strengthening its cultural and artistic content. The strategy is to naturally blend cultural and artistic content into customers' daily lives to increase points of contact. To this end, Shinsegae is leveraging its accumulated cultural and artistic competitiveness, such as showcasing galleries for 50 years and enhancing curation capabilities comparable to famous art museums, to undertake various initiatives.

Delvaux × Ren? Magritte Pop-up Store Decorated Like an Exhibition
[Photo by Shinsegae Department Store].

"Pop-ups Like Art Museums"

According to the distribution industry on the 22nd, Shinsegae Department Store will showcase bags from the Belgian luxury brand 'Delvaux,' featuring designs by Belgian surrealist painter Ren? Magritte, through a pop-up store until the 27th. This is the 'Magritte Capsule Collection,' launched exclusively in Asia by Delvaux to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Ren? Magritte's birth.

For this pop-up, Shinsegae decorated the central first floor, The Stage, like a Ren? Magritte exhibition. Using sky blue, symbolizing the sky and clouds that Magritte often painted to express dreams, large-scale objects representing symbolic elements from his works, such as apples and roses from 'The Son of Man' and 'The Wrestlers' Tomb,' were displayed for visitors to appreciate. This attempt to combine shopping with cultural and artistic content aims to naturally integrate culture and art into customers' daily lives. Art also plays a key role as differentiated content, considered an essential element of future-oriented department stores.

Shinsegae has succeeded by implementing the 'Broad Area No.1' strategy, which places large-scale department stores in key regional locations and attracts differentiated luxury brands, going beyond the traditional definition of a department store as 'a place that sells various products.' Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam, which recorded sales of 2.8399 trillion won last year, ranked first nationwide and entered the global top-tier department stores. Cultural and artistic content is regarded as a core competitive advantage for the next step. While handling most luxury and high-end consumer goods traditionally dealt with by department stores across various online and offline channels, it also contributes to establishing channel identity. The approach uses culture and art to position the department store as a luxurious, special place where customers can enjoy unique cultural experiences.

Delvaux × Ren? Magritte Pop-up Store Decorated Like an Exhibition [Photo by Shinsegae Department Store].

"A New Shopping Space Where Luxury and Art Meet"

There is also a historical background to Shinsegae choosing cultural and artistic content as its core content. Shinsegae introduced the first gallery space in a domestic department store in 1969. Since then, it has expanded its experience by hosting exhibitions of various famous domestic and international artists such as Kim Whanki and Picasso, as well as world-class art auction preview events like Christie's and Sotheby's. Following the installation of Louise Bourgeois's 'Eye Bench' and Henry Moore's 'Reclining Figure: Arch Leg' in the Trinity Garden of the Shinsegae Main Store in 2007, it has also presented interior designs and goods utilizing artwork images beyond exhibitions.

Chairwoman Lee Myung-hee and Executive Director Chung Yoo-kyung's deep knowledge in related fields, having majored in Applied Arts and Graphic Design respectively, also contributed to Shinsegae's strengthening of cultural and artistic content. Above all, the slogan 'Inspiring art in customers' daily lives' reflects the long-term vision of the future department store, highlighting the necessity of enhancing culture and art.

Shinsegae is especially developing the Gangnam branch as a hub for culture and art. In 2020, it created an art space on the third floor of the Gangnam store, establishing a space where luxury and art meet. As the first in the industry, it exhibited and sold over 250 works including paintings, objects, photographs, and sculptures, creating a complex cultural space beyond shopping. The 'Blossom Art Fair,' launched the same year, is an event designed to naturally introduce cultural and artistic content into customers' daily lives, with Shinsegae Gallery carefully selecting artists and works for exhibition. During the art fair, art consulting is also provided to assist with purchases along with artwork explanations. This structure enhances the department store's prestige and attracts consumers.

Last year, the Gangnam store's mezzanine, introduced for the first time in the industry, features the 'Mezzanine Gallery' showcasing works by famous domestic and international artists including Kim Chang-ryul, along with curation services. In June, a special outdoor exhibition by blue-chip artist Kim Woo-jin was also presented on the 11th-floor rooftop garden, transforming the space into one where culture and art can be experienced in everyday life.

Im Hoon, Vice President and Head of Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam, said, "We will continue spatial innovations to provide special shopping experiences for customers who enjoy culture and art, including this Delvaux pop-up."

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