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Convenience stores target Seongsu-dong for specialty stores

Published: 27 Nov. 2025, 19:54

Customers wait in line to enter Emart24’s flagship store, Trend Lab Seongsu, during its preopening on Nov. 27. [EMART24]

On a chilly Thursday afternoon in Seoul’s trendy Seongsu-dong neighborhood, the line outside a convenience store mirrored the long queues in front of nearby fashion pop-ups.

Those who stepped inside Emart24’s newest flagship store during its preopening murmured, “It doesn’t feel like a convenience store,” as they wandered through the aisles, craning their necks to glimpse what used to be an ordinary corner shop but was now the district’s latest attraction.

Many visitors, including university students and office workers in their 30s, said the appeal lay in the novelty. One shopper said, “I like that I can finally check out W Concept clothes offline.” Others remarked that the selection felt “unexpected for a convenience store.”

Their reactions echoed Emart24’s broader ambition: to position Trend Lab Seongsu as not a temporary rest stop but as the destination for young consumers.

Emart24, part of Shinsegae Group, chose Seongsu-dong as the location for its first flagship store because the neighborhood has evolved into a magnet for Gen Z customers and trend-seeking young millennials.

Customers browse Emart24’s flagship store, Trend Lab Seongsu, during its preopening on Nov. 27. [EMART24]

The store's 100 square meters (1,076 square feet) feature items from the beauty brand Amuse and fashion platform W Concept at its entrance, just like a boutique. Shoppers can also find merchandise of the mobile game “Trickcal Re:vive” and the anime series “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba,” both of which have large fan bases in Korea, or have a cup of coffee or some pastries — including the chain's own branded snacks arranged in a separate display for “star products” — at the takeaway cafe.

The company plans to rotate displays and introduce limited-edition items so that customers will always have a reason to return. Emart24 also aims to attract foreign visitors as Seongsu-dong becomes an increasingly popular spot for tourists, especially those interested in retail and design.

Emart24 CEO Choi Jin-il said that Trend Lab Seongsu “captures the direction Emart24 is moving toward,” which is transforming into “the convenience store that best understands customers in their teens through 30s.”

Emart24 plans to open four additional flagship stores.

Shoppers line up to take part in missions themed after "Squid Game" (2021-25) at the ″Squid Game″ pop-up event at GS25's flagship store, Door to Seongsu. [GS RETAIL]

The rush to claim territory in Seongsu-dong reflects a broader shift across Korea’s convenience store industry, with retailers using specialty stores to blend retail and entertainment with instant noodles and bottled water, cultivating new communities of shoppers.

GS Retail set off the wave in November 2023 when it opened Door to Seongsu, a flagship store for its GS25 chain. The store now draws about 1,100 customers a day. One million people visited within the first 30 months, and 80 percent were in their 20s and 30s. By hosting collaborations with more than 50 brands — including Netflix, Samsung Galaxy and Coca-Cola — the store has become a minor landmark in the area.

CU, operated by BGF Retail, is also tapping into Seongsu-dong’s heavy foot traffic. At its Seongsu Premier branch, the company recently hosted a pop-up featuring the virtual idol group Plave. Some fans traveled specifically for the event.

Lee Jeong-pyo, GS Retail's head of marketing, said the strategy is now focused on “drawing international visitors to its specialty stores and aims to develop a model that acts as a lifestyle platform rather than a conventional corner shop.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM KYUNG-MI [[email protected]]