The Lunar New Year holiday, China’s largest holiday, will last for nine days from the 15th to the 23rd. The number of Chinese tourists (youke) visiting Korea during this year’s Lunar New Year is expected to reach 230,000 to 250,000, and the inflow is expected to be even larger than last year. Ahead of the return of “big-handed” Youker, the domestic department store industry is making every effort to attract the market by mobilizing all discounts and marketing.
“Have Golden Week Tourists”…Lotte 百 Promotes ‘Chunjeol’ in China
Lotte Department Store announced on the 8th that it will launch a large-scale promotion targeting foreign customers for the Chinese New Year (春節), the biggest holiday in China. Lotte Department Store will launch content-oriented marketing that allows visitors to experience K-culture in person as well as discounts during the Lunar New Year holiday.
First, the National Museum of Korea’s MU:Z thank-you event, which is attracting attention as a representative K-goods, will be held from the 13th to March 3. Foreign customers who purchased a total of 300,000 won or more at Lotte Department Store’s main branch, Jamsil branch, and Busan headquarters will be given a “Silla’s Smile Sauce Bowl Set,” a modern reinterpretation of Korean traditional aesthetics, on a first-come, first-served basis.
During the period, 1,000 customers who followed the Lotte Department Store’s Xiaohongshu account and visited the main store’s Tax Refun Desk will also receive an event to present Osullok ice cream.
Experiential beauty content has also been strengthened. Lotte Department Store follows the official account of Xiaohongshu, China’s representative SNS, and provides makeup vouchers for “Jeongsaemmool Inspiration” located in Avenuel, Lotte Department Store’s main branch, to foreign customers who participated in mini-game events.
In addition, a thank-you event will be held to present “Red Large Pouch” and “Four Travel Deluxe” to foreign customers who purchased “Yves Saint Laurent” cosmetics more than 300,000 won on the same day at the main branch, Jamsil branch, Busan headquarters, and Gwangbok branch during the Lunar New Year.
It also actively targets interest in K-fashion. K-fashion specialist Kinetic Ground on the 9th floor of its headquarters will operate a pop-up store for K-fashion brand Setter until the 26th and unveil a spring collection in collaboration with K-pop idol RIZE.
It has also strengthened payment benefits in connection with the Global Payments app. All Lotte Department Store and Lotte Outlet stores offer up to 15% immediate discounts when paying with “Alipay” from 11th to March 9th. In addition, from the 9th to March 3rd, discounts were provided immediately for purchases of more than 800 yuan through WeChat Pay.
Park Sang-woo, head of Lotte Department Store’s marketing division, said, “This year’s Lunar New Year will be the longest holiday in history, and more foreign tourists are expected to visit Korea than last year. We will further solidify our position as Korea’s leading shopping and tourism platform through a content-oriented promotion where you can fully experience K-culture.”
Busan Shinsegae Centum City is targeting Youker on the Lunar New Year’s Day
Shinsegae Centum City, located in Busan, announced on the same day that it will conduct various marketing aimed at Chinese tourists from the 9th to the 28th to mark the Lunar New Year (春節 and Lunar New Year), China’s biggest holiday.
At the entrance to the central square on the second basement floor, a photo zone designed with the welcoming phrase “GOOD 福 DAY” will be created, and various sculptures will be installed around major travel passages and convenience facilities.
It will also distribute a guide leaflet exclusively for foreigners consisting of four themes: K-fashion, beauty, food, and culture, and hold a “K Food Cooking Class” at the academy on the 22nd to make representative Korean New Year foods such as rice cake soup and japchae.
It’s a nearby FarahIn collaboration with Is Hotel, exclusive vouchers, including discount vouchers and spa land vouchers, will be provided to guests in China.
It will also hold a promotion to present 5% Shinsegae gift certificates to customers who purchase more than 200,000 won from a single fashion, miscellaneous goods, and cosmetics brand using simple payment methods such as Union Pay and WeChat Pay.
Shinsegae Centum City’s foreign customer sales rose 60% last year from 2024, exceeding 5% of its total sales, and Chinese customer sales rose 100%.
The genre of Chinese customers’ preference, which used to be centered on luxury goods, is also diversifying to ‘K brand’.
K cosmetics brand ‘Tamberines’ topped sales in the perfume category, beating foreign brands, while K sunglasses brand ‘Gentle Monster’ and K fashion brand ‘Imis’ recorded sales growth of 103% and 109%, respectively.
