About 290 buildings across 9 alley-type shopping districts targeted; Onnuri gift voucher awareness campaign strengthened
Lifestyle-focused commercial district promotion leverages road-name address building number plates
Gwangjin-gu has attached "alley shopping district guide stickers" to building number plates across its designated alley-type shopping zones to boost foot traffic and expand the use of Onnuri gift vouchers.
The project uses road-name address building number plates — the signage residents consult most often in daily life — to raise awareness of alley-type shopping districts and encourage Onnuri gift voucher spending. By the end of May, the district had affixed guide stickers to the number plates of approximately 290 buildings across nine alley-type shopping districts within its boundaries.
Alley-type shopping districts are zones dense with small-business storefronts that local governments designate and support when they meet certain criteria. Designated zones are eligible for benefits comparable to those of traditional markets, including registration as Onnuri gift voucher merchants and participation in various commercial revitalization support projects.
Gwangjin-gu currently has nine designated alley-type shopping districts in operation, including the Geonridangil, Jayang 15th Street, Jamajang Market and Achasan Hiking Trail alley shopping districts.
Many residents had not been aware that the streets where their favorite restaurants and cafes are located had been designated as alley-type shopping districts.
Onnuri gift vouchers were also widely perceived as a payment method limited to traditional markets, leading many customers to miss out on discounts available at the wide variety of stores within alley-type shopping districts.
In response, the district attached guide stickers to the road-name address building number plates that residents check most frequently when navigating the area, making it immediately clear that a given block falls within a designated alley shopping zone. By repurposing existing address infrastructure rather than installing separate promotional facilities, the district maximized both resident accessibility and promotional impact.
Customers shopping at stores within alley-type shopping districts can take advantage of discounts applied when purchasing mobile or card-type Onnuri gift vouchers for more cost-effective spending.
The district expects the sticker campaign to help more residents benefit from Onnuri gift vouchers and to translate increased foot traffic into higher sales for local businesses.
"The nine alley-type shopping districts in our district are precious neighborhood commercial zones that each carry the distinct character and charm of their area," Gwangjin-gu District Mayor Kim Kyung-ho said. "We will continue to support residents in accessing alley shopping district benefits and Onnuri gift vouchers more conveniently, and pursue a range of policies to invigorate the local economy."
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