Adult products are on display in the Pierrot Shopping outlet launched by Shinsegae in southern Seoul. [Aju News ]
SEOUL -- Along with the establishment of giant luxury and leisure shopping malls, South Korea's retail conglomerate Shinsegae unveiled a new brand by benchmarking Don Quijote, the biggest discount chain store in Japan, which packs a wide range of products from ceiling to floor in a distinct merchandising strategy.
At the initiative of vice chairman Chung Yong-jin, the group's de facto head, Shinsegae's hypermarket wing E-mart showcased an amusement discount store chain called "Pierrot Shopping" in a media event on Wednesday.
The first Pierrot Shopping outlet will commence its business Thursday in the Starfield complex at the Convention and Exhibition Center (COEX) in southern Seoul. E-Mart plans to open two more Pierrot Shopping outlets targeting young people with relatively low income in Seoul this year.
Some 40,000 items including fresh foods, home appliances, adult goods and cosplay wigs were displayed in a complicated manner to make consumers feel like they were exploring all over the 2,513-square-meter store.
Pierrot Shopping benchmarked Don Quijote, the biggest discount chain store in Japan. Like Don Quixote which has become a shopping destination with the fun of buying good goods at low prices, E-Mart has introduced the concept of "fun shopping and crazy prices."
For a quick response to rapidly changing trends, store managers were allowed to select and purchase products from various channels such as traditional markets and online malls. Stock goods and bankruptcy products are available.
Pierrot Shopping sells household goods, accessories and cosmetics, unique ideas products and overseas luxury brands at low prices as well as miscellaneous goods which can not be seen in domestic offline stores. For foreign tourists, traditional Korean foods, cosmetics, rice cookers and idol souvenirs are on display.
E-Mart has streamlined its business at home because of competition in the saturated retail market. Its consolidated operating profit fell 0.3 percent on-year to 566.9 billion won ($509.7 million) in 2007.
E-Mart said Pierrot Shopping reflects Chung's strategy to lure consumers out to offline malls as South Korea's distribution industry moves rapidly to online malls. Chung has also ordered the complete withdrawal of six E-Mart discount stores in China to relocate them to Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations.
While focusing on the establishment of Starfield, a giant luxury shopping mall complex, Chung has promised to strengthen its e-commerce business and online shopping malls. Starfield represents a new paradigm in shopping malls as it provides a combination of shopping, entertainment and leisure to satisfy customers.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
