Lotte launches food souvenirs, opens duty free showroom in Myeongdong

Korea’s first duty-free showroom “LDF House” in Myeongdong. [Courtesy of Lotte Duty Free]

In response to the significant influx of foreign tourists visiting South Korea this year and the recent return of Chinese group tourists, Lotte has taken steps to attract their attention in the vibrant Myeongdong district.

Lotte Department Store said on Thursday it will open a ‘Local Express’ pop-up store on the first basement floor of its main store from October 20 to 26, offering eight unique food souvenir items crafted from local specialties. The selected food souvenir items include ‘Kim Chips’ from Namyangju, ‘Almond Dates Palm’ from Chungju, ‘Ginger Mint Fermented Tea & Red Bean Aged Pumpkin Hoji Tea’ from Boseong, ‘Korean Meat Stock’ from Sinan, ‘Red Plum Wine’ from Yeongcheon, ‘Sweet Potato Caramel’ from Busan, ‘Hallabong Agar Roll Jelly’ from Jeju, and ‘Myeongi Laver’ from Jeongseon.

To create these distinctive food souvenirs, Lotte Department Store conducted extensive research in over 100 markets over the past year and organized five evaluation sessions in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization.

After the pop-up store closes, the eight food tourism souvenirs will continue to be sold at Lotte Department Store’s Gimpo Airport and Incheon branches, Busan Headquarters, and Lotte Department Store Mall.

Lotte Duty Free opened Korea’s first duty-free showroom “LDF House” in Myeongdong on Thursday. Located on the main street of Myeongdong, the 297-square-meter, three-story building is organized around three elements: shopping, sightseeing, and customer experience. The exterior reflects Lotte Duty Free’s brand identity by utilizing the company’s iconic red color and hot air balloon design.

LDF House comprises three indoor floors and a rooftop. The first floor features a star photo booth and a pop-up store. It recreates a set for a Lotte Duty-Free Shop advertisement with NCT DREAM, who serve as brand models, and even has a themed space dedicated to actor and singer Lee Junho, all designed to capture the hearts of global fans.

The second and third floors showcase the products recommended by Lotte Duty-Free Shop’s professional merchandise planners, allowing visitors to witness duty-free shopping trends. On the rooftop, a hot air balloon-shaped lift and a light-emitting diode (LED) screen displaying a night view of Seoul have been installed for an enhanced customer experience. The hot air balloon, labeled ‘Myeongdong,’ is expected to serve as a popular photo spot for tourists in the evenings.

“LDF House is Korea’s first duty-free showroom. With the goal of revitalizing the Myeongdong district and creating a new tourist attraction, it was established with the support of the Seoul Customs and a mutual agreement with Myeongdong merchants,” Lotte Duty Free CEO Kim Ju-nam said.

Lotte Group’s efforts in developing food tourism souvenirs and opening a showroom in Myeongdong aim to solidify the notion of ‘Korea Tourism equals Lotte Shopping’ in the minds of international tourists. This year, Lotte Duty Free’s foreign tourist sales from January to September, based on the main store, have increased by a remarkable 370 percent compared to the same period last year, and is almost at pre-Covid-19 levels.