Lotte Mart decorates part of Songpa store as art gallery

[Courtesy of Lotte Mart]

South Korea’s Lotte Mart has transformed the second floor of its Songpa branch into a 2,300-square meter art gallery, targeting both art enthusiasts and regular shoppers, the first time a major Korean supermarket has opened a permanent art sales venue. As online shopping continues to gain market share, offline retailers are distinguishing themselves with unique on-site experiences.

A man in his 30s from Songpa-gu spent time with his child at the Art Dream Experience Center in Lotte Mart Songpa’s mART on Monday. Unlike typical “no-kids zones,” this “yes-kids zone” allows children to roam freely and engage in art activities with art kits available for purchase. He shared his satisfaction, saying, “I really enjoyed watching my child draw and decorate freely. It is so convenient to book and experience activities on-site without prior reservation, so we will likely visit often.”

[Courtesy of Lotte Mart]

The mART space is divided into 13 different sections, including general exhibition hall, creative market, and experience places. In the creative market, visitors can watch artists at work and purchase their creations on the spot. The experience center offers opportunities for everyone, from children to seniors, to create actual artworks using various art tools. Artist Ahn Seung-chan, who was drawing caricatures at the site, mentioned, “Artists often struggle with where to work and sell their pieces, but here, I can do both simultaneously.”

To commemorate its opening, mART is hosting the “Jump Into mART” exhibition, featuring over 350 artworks from around 260 artists, including members of the Songpa Artists Association and emerging artists. Prices range from 500,000 to 3 million won ($2,200), designed to be affordable for supermarket visitors. mART explained that the pricing aims to make art accessible with no financial burdens.

Lotte Mart previously conducted a 10-day art sale at the Songpa branch in 2023, anticipating sales of 30 million won but hitting around 100 million won in revenue. This success gave the retailer the confidence to operate mART as a permanent gallery.

Moving forward, Lotte Mart plans to invite renowned artists to mART and display higher-priced artworks ranging from 10 million to 20 million won. Lotte Mart emphasized the importance of differentiated experiential content to increase customer dwell time in large supermarkets, saying it plans to expand various experiential content to help large supermarkets take a new leap forward.

Lotte Mart is not alone in enhancing offline content. As online shopping continues to grow, offline retailers need to find distinct advantages. Emart operates the Town Mall, a 13,000-square meter experiential facility, at its Wolgye, Yeonsu, and Kintex locations, featuring manga cafes, golf academies, and more for family enjoyment. Homeplus operates 12 futsal fields combining rooftop and indoor spaces, while Seoul’s Yongsan I’Park Mall set up a rooftop futsal field and padel court to attract customers.