Major fashion brands are successively expanding their offline stores in Korea. While extending operations from key commercial districts frequented by foreign tourists such as Myeong-dong, Seongsu, and Bukchon to Jeju, the strategy goes beyond simply increasing the number of outlets. Instead, there is a clear focus on designing spaces tailored to local characteristics and brand identities. This approach aims to attract customers by embedding the brand's unique "taste" — difficult to experience online — into offline stores.
According to the fashion industry on the 26th, Recipe Group’s Set opened 20 new stores in Korea last year alone. As of August this year, it operates 55 stores and plans to add seven more in the second half of the year. The core of store expansion lies in major tourist commercial districts including Myeong-dong, Seongsu, Gwangjang Market, and Bukchon.
Set House Bukchon is a prime example. Opened last March, this store interprets the aesthetics of the Gyeongseong era in a modern way and features exclusive items such as So-dam cups, moon jars, and incense bags created in collaboration with Lee Do ceramics. Even within the same brand, different experiences are offered depending on the location. Content leveraging fandoms, such as collaborations with Monchhichi and LG Twins and events linked to brand model Rise, also serve as factors encouraging store visits.
Store strategies targeting foreign tourists are also being strengthened. Musinsa Standard plans to open its Myeong-dong Central Store in September. At the existing Myeong-dong location, foreign customers accounted for 56% of sales from January to May this year. The new store will expand beyond fashion to include beauty and home products, offering Korean souvenirs featuring "Ho-jak-do" (a traditional Korean painting motif) and custom services. With a goal of opening 50 stores nationwide this year, the company plans to expand its footprint to Seoul Forest and Jeju.
Efforts are also underway to expand the role of stores into spaces that showcase brand tastes. LF’s Dunst opened its first flagship store, "The Ocean," in Aewol, Jeju, last July. The space features vintage furniture and audio systems with views of the Jeju sea. This transforms the store from a mere product sales area into an experience zone where customers can immerse themselves in the atmosphere and taste the brand pursues.
Hedgez connected foreign creators at its Myeong-dong "Space H Seoul" location. A "Hedgez TikTok Crew," composed of foreigners residing in Korea, introduces Seoul’s lifestyle and brands through their own languages and perspectives. As a result, during the first crew’s operation period from April to June this year, the number of foreign visitors more than doubled compared to the previous January-March period.
Malbon Golf also differentiates its store colors based on location. Malbon House in Bukchon reinterprets traditional lattice windows and wooden elements in a modern style to highlight local characteristics while offering customization and exclusive lines. At Malbon Seongsu, golf is combined with art, music, and fashion to showcase its identity as a lifestyle brand.
The reason the fashion industry is expanding offline stores is that they now function not just as spaces for selling products but as touchpoints where customers can directly experience brands. Especially in commercial districts concentrated with foreign tourists, spaces and products that can only be experienced in Korea are becoming key drivers of purchases. An industry executive stated, "As consumers become more accustomed to encountering products online, offline stores will increasingly prioritize unique spaces and content available only through specific brands." They added, "Efforts to provide differentiated experiences tailored to each commercial district and customer base will become even more active."
in LIVING
