Lotte Mart steps up promotions for foreign shoppers ahead of Golden Week holidays
Exterior view of Lotte Mart Zettaplex at Seoul Station. [Photo provided by Lotte Mart]
Lotte Mart said April 26 it will strengthen promotions for foreign customers to coincide with major holiday periods, including Japan’s Golden Week (April 29 to May 6) and China’s Labor Day break (May 1-5).
The retailer will work with Japan-based online travel platform Konest to offer Lotte Mart discount coupons. It will also provide hotel-guest-only discount vouchers through Lotte City Hotel Gimpo Airport, where Japanese guests account for a large share of stays, the company said.
Lotte Mart will also issue special coupons through Taiwan’s Line Pay through May 15. On WeChat Pay, it will run a random discount event offering immediate discounts of up to 88 yuan.
At its foreign-visitor hub stores — Zettaplex Seoul Station and the Gwangbok branch — customers who spend above a set amount will receive gifts such as luggage tags and travel shopping bags.
“As a shopping landmark representing Korea, we will build stores global customers want to return to, based on differentiated products, tailored benefits and outstanding shopping convenience,” said Yoon Yeo-ryeong, who oversees promotional marketing for Lotte Mart and Super.
Gmarket extends ‘Star Delivery’ order cutoff to midnight
[Photo provided by Gmarket]
Gmarket said April 26 it will extend the order cutoff time for its fast-shipping service to midnight as it seeks to strengthen delivery competitiveness.
Starting April 28, the cutoff for “Star Delivery” will move from 11 p.m. to 12 a.m., the company said.
Star Delivery is a guaranteed-arrival service that delivers items on the promised date. It includes “Fulfillment Star Delivery,” operated from the Dongtan Mega Center, and “Seller Star Delivery,” run directly by merchants. The midnight cutoff will apply first to fulfillment items.
During this year’s Lunar New Year holiday period, Gmarket extended the cutoff from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. After sales between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. rose 56% from the prior year’s holiday period, it kept the 11 p.m. deadline in place, the company said.
Gmarket said the change will allow consumers to place late-night orders while still receiving next-day delivery benefits, and it expects sellers to gain additional sales opportunities. The company said it plans to improve logistics infrastructure and operating efficiency and gradually expand Star Delivery coverage.
Hyundai Department Store begins Seoul Forest eco-garden project with customers
Customers who donated to the garden project, about 50 Hyundai Department Store employees and family members, and officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the nonprofit Forest for Life pose after the first planting at Seoul Forest in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on April 25. [Photo provided by Hyundai Department Store]
Hyundai Department Store has launched an environmental donation project to create green space in the city with customers.
The company said April 26 that it held the first planting for its “Grow My Garden” project on April 25 at Seoul Forest in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul.
Under the program, customers donate by selecting one of eight garden areas, and Hyundai Department Store covers half the cost.
Participants included donating customers, about 50 company employees and family members, and officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the nonprofit Forest for Life.
They planted about 2,000 trees and flowering plants. Hyundai Department Store said it plans to plant an additional 2,000 perennials and seasonal flowers through April 28.
The roughly 800-square-meter “Green Friends Garden” created through the project will be unveiled at the 2026 Seoul International Garden Show, which opens May 1, the company said.
Hyundai Department Store said it will install amenities such as benches and lighting so the public can use the space freely, and it plans to run customer-participation gardening programs.
CJ OnStyle says KBO scarves and key rings are driving demand for team goods
Short-form content shows fans styling CJ OnStyle x KBO goods, including a bandana scarf. [Photo provided by CJ OnStyle]
South Korea’s professional baseball league, the KBO, is drawing strong interest, and related goods are expanding beyond food and beverages into fashion and lifestyle items.
CJ OnStyle said April 26 that an analysis of sales data from April 9 to 25 — after it launched KBO goods — found fashion accessories such as bandana scarves, lightweight folding umbrellas and stadium-bag key rings ranked among top sellers.
In the first 10 days after launch, cumulative sales reached 35,000 items, the company said. Fashion accounted for 52.8% of total sales volume.
CJ OnStyle said it expanded sales channels to external platforms including Naver and 29CM starting April 20, citing early momentum.
“KBO league fans increasingly see goods not as simple souvenirs but as a way to express personal taste and style,” a CJ OnStyle official said. “We will identify fandom trends early and connect them to product planning to broaden the base for fandom commerce.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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