[Report] Zetaflex Seoul Station Attracts Foreigners, Office Workers, Kidults, and Wine Enthusiasts (Comprehensive)

'Zeta Plex Seoul Station Branch' Officially Opens Tomorrow
From Shoppers to Foreign Tourists, Bustling Crowds

Customer Pathway 5m Wide... First Impression Comfortable with 3 Carts Moving Simultaneously
Entire 2nd Floor Dedicated to Grocery... Special Zone for Foreigners

Wine Recommendations Matching Music... Evolved Bottle Bunker
Strengthened Toysrus Corner Targeting Kidults with Disney and Sanrio

On the afternoon of the 13th, at the Zeta Flex Seoul Station branch in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Visiting a day before the official renewal opening under the 'Zeta Flex' brand, the place was bustling with foreign tourists pulling suitcases right from the entrance. The health and beauty (H&B) specialty store 'Lob's Plus' and various K-beauty brands surrounded the edges of the store, and upon entering, the entire second floor was dedicated to a grocery store.

On the afternoon of the 13th, visitors are shopping at ZetaFlex Seoul Station branch.
[Photo by Lotte Mart].

The first impression upon entering was a sense of openness despite the bustling crowd. The customer flow path was widened to 5 meters so that three carts could pass simultaneously without bumping into each other, and the display shelves were lowered to 1.8 meters, 30 cm lower than before. From one end, the 4,826㎡ (about 1,460 pyeong) grocery store was visible at a glance. Corner names such as 'Vegetables,' 'Beef & Pork,' and 'Cooking Kitchen (Deli)' were large and intuitive, adding to the sense of openness.

The Zeta Flex Seoul Station branch is the second Zeta Flex store, following the success of the Zeta Flex Jamsil branch, which opened in December 2021. The Jamsil branch was reborn as Lotte Mart's future-oriented store representing the Gangnam commercial district in Seoul, with a concept of "If it's not here, it's nowhere," offering more than 30% more items than regular stores, a fresh store rich in seasonality, and various specialty stores by product category, including the mega wine shop 'Bottle Bunker.'

The fresh store expanded its selection of premium and eco-friendly products, considering the high-income commercial districts of Jung-gu and Yongsan-gu compared to the national average. The agricultural produce section introduced 'Real's Zone (RE:EARTH),' composed of eco-friendly fruits and vegetables. It consists of about 20 premium fruits and vegetables certified as low-carbon, organic, and pesticide-free.

The livestock section installed a wet aging showcase, selling aged Hanwoo beef that has undergone wet low-temperature aging in-store to enhance flavor, and also handled the 'Full Blood Wagyu' breed, which is in the top 0.5% of purebred Wagyu, increasing premium meat options. A separate '3-day pork' corner, featuring pork caught within about three days, was also introduced to broaden customer choices. The seafood section introduced a live seafood zone with tanks not previously available, allowing customers to find live abalone and crab species (lobster, king crab, snow crab) all year round.

Besides general customers, the Zeta Flex Seoul Station branch also sees frequent visits from foreign customers and those working in nearby shops and offices. Accordingly, customized specialty zones for different customer types were newly established. Representative examples are the 'Cooking Lunchbox Specialty Zone' in the ready-to-eat section and the 'Foreign Customer Specialty Zone' in the processed food section.

The lunchbox specialty zone is a tailored space for office workers and railway users. About 70 types of lunchboxes are prepared here, ranging from simple gimbap lunchboxes to extremely cost-effective lunchboxes, premium full-course lunchboxes, and differentiated Japanese-style lunchboxes. The foreign customer specialty zone gathers popular items within food categories such as snacks, coffee, and nuts, which foreign customers frequently purchase, allowing customers to see popular products at a glance without searching throughout the store.

On the way to the third floor, the Korean Cultural Products Hall 'Treasure' is located. Designed with a gallery concept, the store is composed of products that reinterpret traditional Korean culture in a modern way, allowing indirect experience of Korean traditional culture without visiting palaces or museums. The first store you encounter on the third floor is Toys "R" Us. Targeting kidults, it is configured as a character specialty shop similar to Tokyo's 'Character Street' in Japan, going beyond a simple toy store. It features Sanrio Market, Pok?mon Zone, and Catch Tinyping Store. A photo zone decorated with Sanrio characters and large Mickey and Minnie figures was also created. The largest Nintendo specialty store in a large supermarket also opened. Adjacent is the pet specialty store 'Collioli,' showcasing about 2,000 pet products. It is filled with recently popular items such as 'Meong Wine' and 'Meong Beer,' as well as pet insurance products and pet-exclusive electronics.

The 'Asia Liqueur' corner inside Bottle Bunker at Zetaflex Seoul Station introduces traditional Korean liquors as well as representative Asian spirits from China, Japan, and other countries. A 'scent tasting' section is also provided to allow visitors to experience the aromas of unfamiliar alcoholic beverages.
[Photo by Lotte Mart].

Turning the corner, the fourth Bottle Bunker store appears. A curation zone is placed at the store entrance to create a space for wine beginners. On the opening day, visitors can find 'wines that pair well with deepening autumn.' Among more than 4,000 types of wine, a theme called 'Wine Navigation' uses a tablet PC for Q&A to help customers find products matching their preferences, providing a new experience. An additional differentiated feature is 'Wine & Play,' a music and wine pairing recommendation content, offering a service where customers can listen to music on a tablet PC and purchase recommended wines.

On this day, Kang Seong-hyun, CEO of Lotte Mart and Super, met at the Zeta Flex Seoul Station branch and said, "To differentiate Bottle Bunker, we will also introduce wine storage services," adding, "We are concretizing customer-tailored services such as storing wine and later sending it to a restaurant at the right temperature." He continued, "By the end of the year, we will be able to introduce new items such as exclusive brands and private brands (PB). It is natural that a 1 million won wine tastes good. Bottle Bunker's mission is to recommend wines that, even if you choose wines priced at 50,000 to 100,000 won, you can experience the taste and flavor of wines costing 300,000 to 400,000 won, and we always emphasize this to our staff."

CEO Kang aims to sincerely implement Lotte Mart's food offerings through detailed segmentation of the mart concept. To this end, within the year, Lotte Mart Eunpyeong branch will be introduced as a new concept food specialty store applying a 'buffet-style deli service.' Kang said, "We will completely transform Eunpyeong branch before the end of the year," adding, "We plan to transform the 1,000-pyeong store into a compact food-centered store, presenting the deli bar with a buffet-like concept, serving in a 'Panda Express' style." The barbecue corner will also be differentiated by developing its own seasoning, and fish will be offered with sauces applied by type, so customers only need to put them in the oven. The new form of Lotte Mart's name is under consideration with various candidates such as Lotte Mart Food Flex, Grand Grocery, and Food Hall. He said, "You can completely solve dinner by just visiting here, and we will introduce a mart with new services that can also cover single-person households."

The candidate for the third Zeta Flex branch is being reviewed with possibilities open in major cities nationwide. He emphasized, "Not all can become Zeta Flex, but ultimately, Lotte Mart's goal is to renew all stores focusing on food."

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