Lotte Hi-Mart to open electronics-cum-bookstore

Lotte Hi-Mart said Wednesday that it would open an electronics store combined with a bookstore on Friday.

The store will be a renovated version of its Guri Station branch in Gyeonggi. Hi-Mart conducted a large-scale renovation of the space, turning it into a two-story operation with a bookstore on the first floor.

In the center, tablets containing apps that present Hi-Mart’s electronic products will allow consumers to place orders that can then be picked up on the second floor.

The second floor will contain both books and electronic devices, according to the company.

Lotte said the books will complement electronic products. For example, cookbooks will sit next to blenders and toasters, while vacuum cleaners and irons will be clustered with books related to interior design and organizing.

The company hopes to turn Hi-Mart into a “lifestyle shop” rather than an electronics store confined to a single product category.

By Song Kyoung-son