"I arrived at 5 a.m. and waited about two and a half hours to get in. There aren't many products, but most of the popular ones are available, so I'm satisfied."

On July 9, as the sweltering weather continued in the morning, Kanghee Hong (34, Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province), whom we met at The Hyundai Seoul Don Quijote pop-up store in Yeouido, Seoul, filled her shopping basket with Japanese soy sauce and sesame sauce, and shared her experience.

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The pop-up store introduced by Don Quijote, Japan's leading variety store, in collaboration with GS25, operated by GS Retail, drew large crowds on its opening day and again the following day at The Hyundai Seoul. The waiting line, which started at 5 a.m., exceeded 60 teams by around 8 a.m., and by 12:35 p.m., after the store opened, 600 teams-about 1,400 people in total-had filled the daily entry quota.

Unlike the confusion caused by crowds on the previous day, the scene was much more orderly this time. GS25 had posted an announcement about the pop-up store waiting process on its official social media account on the evening of the first day, after more visitors than expected showed up. As a result, only those who came to take photos or had received entry instructions calmly entered the store. A GS Retail representative explained, "On the morning of the first day, so many people gathered in front of the store that, for safety reasons, we started guiding customers to wait on Basement Level 2 before entering."

The interior of the pop-up store faithfully recreated the atmosphere of an actual Don Quijote store in Japan. However, Korean phrases like "the best," "nice nice," and "awesome" on the displays set it apart from the Japanese locations.

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Visitors filled their baskets with Don Quijote's own brand (PB) JONETZ products such as "Sesame Garlic Sauce," "Cylindrical Potato Chips," and "Soy Sauce for Eggs." Most products were priced between 2,000 and 4,000 won, similar to Japanese prices. For example, "Sesame Garlic Sauce" (400ml), which sells for about 12,200 won per bottle on Coupang, was sold for 4,400 won, and "Soy Sauce for Eggs" (180ml), which costs 19,900 won on Coupang, was offered at 3,300 won.

Kim Dahwi (20), who lives in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, said, "I thought the prices would be high, but they were actually reasonable and similar to Don Quijote in Japan. If a permanent store opens, I would visit often."

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Some popular items were sold out in less than an hour after opening. The shelves for these products were restocked sequentially. The quantity of products sold each day was limited to match the daily entry capacity.

This left some visitors disappointed. Lee (31), who lives in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, said, "I registered for the waiting line around 8:30 a.m. and was called at 11:10 a.m. The Don Quijote stores in Japan have many floors, but this one is smaller than I expected, and the products are limited to food items." Yubin Han (20) added, "Konjac jelly is a great product to share with friends and family, but there was a limit of only one or two per person. The prices were good, but unlike in Japan, there were few non-food items, so the selection and scale were a bit disappointing."

Convenience store GS25 announced that it will hold a pop-up store in collaboration with Japan's largest variety store Don Quijote at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul, until the 1st of next month. Photo by Yonhap News Agency.

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This pop-up store is the second collaboration project since a GS25-exclusive display was installed at a Don Quijote store in Japan in May. GS25 and Don Quijote designed this pop-up store with the concept of a "localized Don Quijote," combining the bustling, colorful atmosphere of Japanese stores with the vibe of Korean night streets. The pop-up will run for about a month, until August 1.

This event has also raised speculation about the possibility of Don Quijote entering the Korean market directly. Last November, Don Quijote set up a display for convenience store CU at its Japanese stores and sold private brand products, and in May, it added a GS25-exclusive display, further strengthening its collaboration with Korean convenience stores.

A GS Retail representative said, "As far as we know, Don Quijote does not have any plans to open an official store in Korea yet. However, the collaboration between GS25 and Don Quijote is producing results that are difficult to quantify in terms of both sales and media buzz."