With 10 million runners, outlets race to stock up on sports brands
Three major outlet operators compete to draw customers with expanded sports offerings
"The waiting list is closed."
That was the sign posted in front of the Lululemon store on the first floor of Hyundai Premium Outlets Gimpo in Gochon-eup, Gimpo, visited Saturday around 7:30 p.m. With an hour and a half left before closing time, the store was already turning shoppers away — the waiting list had filled up well before the end of the day.
Lululemon, which opened at the outlet on Tuesday, drew crowds with additional discount offers. Even on weekday afternoons, more than 150 groups lined up to get in. On Saturday, a steady stream of visitors left disappointed. Staff repeatedly announced that today's waiting list was already full. One shopper, identified only as A, said she had come specifically because a promotional event was ending that day. "It's such a shame I couldn't get in," she said. "I'm planning to come back once the crowds die down after the event."
Suburban outlets are turning into battlegrounds for sports brands. The sustained popularity of running, trekking and trail running is driving demand for related products, and outlets are responding by expanding their sports offerings to pull in consumers.
Hyundai Outlets has introduced a string of new brands this year. At the Gimpo location, Lululemon opened Tuesday. The outlet had already brought in Japanese outdoor brand Mont-bell in March and Swedish outdoor brand Klättermusen in August. This month, a Mont-bell store also opened at its Space One location. Sales have climbed: the sports category posted 15.6 percent growth from Aug. 1 through Sept. 17.
Shinsegae Simon Premium Outlets has followed suit. Its Paju Premium Outlets recently completed a brand overhaul, creating a 1,500-square-meter sports and outdoor specialty zone called Urban Sports Field on the second floor. The revamp brought in 10 new brands, including Helinox and Musinsa Standard Sports — both exclusive to the northwestern Gyeonggi Province area.
Lotte Outlets also recorded a 10 percent increase in sports brand sales over the same period. The company is also running aggressive discount events: as part of its Grand Shopping Festa, it will hold a clearance sale on brands including The North Face, Titleist, Mark & Lona and ABC Mart from Oct. 1 through Oct. 11.
Lotte is leveraging its mall format to capture sports demand. It opened an Adidas Brand Center spanning about 693 square meters on the third floor of Lotte World Mall — the first of its kind in the Korean retail industry. On the seventh floor, it launched the first domestic store of global running brand Saucony. Next month, it will partner with Zara Athleticz to host the 2026 Style Run event.
The sports industry estimates that South Korea's running population has surpassed 10 million. More than 50 trail running competitions are being held in the country this year. According to market research firm Mordor Intelligence, the global trail running shoe market is projected to grow from $9.06 billion this year to $12.51 billion in 2031, a compound annual growth rate of 6.67 percent.
"The sports category has evolved beyond a simple retail space into a core content driver that maximizes the two most powerful assets of physical retail — experience and foot traffic," an industry official said. "Foreign tourists who want to experience South Korea's running crew culture are also visiting stores, making it a powerful draw."
siuu@heraldcorp.com
