Lotte Mall Suwon reopens as Time Villas Suwon to rival Starfield

[Courtesy of Lotte Shopping Co.]

Lotte Mall Suwon, which originally opened in 2014, has undergone a major renovation and has been rebranded as Time Villas after a decade.

Time Villas represents Lotte Shopping Co.’s vision of a next-generation shopping mall, combining the premium services of a department store with the trendiness of a modern shopping mall.

“The boundaries between department stores and shopping malls are blurring, prompting us to innovate,” Lotte Department Store CEO Chung Jun-ho told reporters on Thursday. “Lotte sees the growth potential of shopping malls and plans to focus on expanding them in the future.”

Lotte began the redevelopment in October 2023.

The number of stores has been reduced from 550 to 487 but the floor space per store has increased, and the range of premium items has been expanded. Nine global fashion brands, including Kenzo, TAG Heuer, and Versace, have newly joined the lineup.

Mulberry, TUMI, and CASETiFY have made their debut in the Suwon market through Time Villas. This is also the first retail location for Mushinsa Standard.

The premium food court, Dining Avenue, has been upgraded to a department store level of quality. It features an innovative table delivery service, a first for shopping malls, which eliminates the need for shoppers to go to pick up food. Another novel feature is the digital status board, which displays the congestion levels of different areas in the food court using color codes.

A standout feature in the center hall of the first floor is the kinetic art installation Meadow, a project that Chung took special care to realize. Meadow features 16 objects suspended from the ceiling that continuously move and change colors, simulating blooming flowers.