Opportunity to Enter Lotte Department Store... 'Meetup Day' Held for Startups

For Those with Less Than 7 Years of Experience, From Consulting to Store Entry

Lotte Department Store announced on the 24th that it will hold the ‘B.Startup Lotte Department Store Meetup Day 2024.’ This event, in collaboration with the Busan Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, aims to discover promising startups and support the expansion of their product distribution channels.

At the 2023 Meetup Day, a Lotte Department Store buyer is conducting consultations with participating companies. Photo by Lotte Department Store

This year marks the third Meetup Day, where buyers in charge of each product category at Lotte Department Store provide consulting support to startups that have been established for less than seven years. So far, about 100 startups have participated in Meetup Day, leading to the entry of excellent startups in various fields such as food and beverage (F&B) and lifestyle into Lotte Department Store. Representative examples include ‘Davi,’ a local perfume manufacturer that has entered three ‘Dream Plaza’ stores?Lotte Department Store’s shared space for small and medium enterprises?and ‘Joseon F&B,’ a livestock meat processing startup officially launched in the Incheon branch’s food hall.

This year’s Meetup Day will be held on the 9th of next month at the Busan Center for Creative Economy and Innovation. Applications will be accepted from that day until 6 p.m. on the 5th of the following month. The event targets startups nationwide that have been established for less than seven years and wish to enter Lotte Department Store. Applications can be submitted through the Busan Center for Creative Economy and Innovation’s website. Recruitment is open in four categories: cosmetics, accessories, lifestyle (kitchenware, small appliances, etc.), and food. Participating companies will be finally selected based on evaluations of product concept, business feasibility, and distribution competitiveness.

Jung Daegwang, head of the Fair Trade Team at Lotte Department Store, stated, “Since 2022, we have been continuing Meetup Day with the Busan Center for Creative Economy and Innovation to support startups that have excellent capabilities but face difficulties in pioneering distribution channels.” He added, “We hope many startups wishing to enter Lotte Department Store will apply.”

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