The main building of Lotte Department Store's Jamsil branch in Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul. [Lotte Department Store]
The main building of Lotte Department Store's Jamsil branch in Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul. [Lotte Department Store]

Lotte Department Store announced Monday it has begun renovating the food hall at its Jamsil main branch. The overhaul — the first comprehensive renewal of the entire basement-level food hall since 2017 — marks a nearly decade-long gap between major renovations.

The store is targeting a "luxury gourmet destination" concept, planning to renovate the food hall across roughly 11,220 square meters in phases, with a full opening set for the first half of 2028.

The renovation centers on two key ideas: dividing the space into distinct luxury dining zones based on customers' purpose of visit, and deepening content specialization based on how customers use the space. The hall will be split into an "EATS" zone for customers who want to dine and experience food directly inside the store, and a "BUY" zone for those looking to purchase or gift curated food products.

The "luxury dining" area at the heart of the EATS zone will focus on "premium variety," bringing together globally curated food brands to offer Jamsil-exclusive menus and top-tier service experiences.

The BUY zone will feature premium food offerings including top-grade ingredients. A "premium supermarket" section will stock Korean beef and fruit hand-selected by the store's own buyers, guaranteeing the highest quality. The store also plans to upgrade its delivery service, including direct shipments from production regions.

A takeout zone will offer "ultra-fresh live content," letting customers watch their chosen ingredients being prepared on the spot. A food gift zone will carry packages featuring rare ingredients, limited-edition collaborations with renowned chefs and dining establishments, and products designed for holidays and special occasions.

Roman and Williams, an American design studio known for leading the spatial design of venues including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, will handle the food hall's interior design. Next year, the store will open a dedicated dessert hall and the premium supermarket, followed by the dining spaces in 2028.

The renovation is particularly significant as the first project in a broader plan to upgrade the entire Jamsil main building in a manner befitting the Lotte Town Jamsil complex. Lotte Town Jamsil posted annual sales exceeding 3 trillion won ($2.26 billion) for two consecutive years through last year. This year, sales are on track to approach the 4 trillion won mark, buoyed by growing purchases from foreign visitors.

The Jamsil branch's food hall already draws strong loyalty from VIP customers, who visit on average up to 30 days a year for food purchases alone. The branch also maintains the highest average transaction value across all Lotte locations. Lotte Department Store said it plans to build the luxury gourmet destination by leveraging the Jamsil branch's dominant retail catchment and the demands of its VIP clientele.

"This is a project to redefine the competitiveness of a department store food hall in a way that befits the status of the Jamsil branch — a shopping landmark that represents Korea," said Kim Sang-woo, head of Lotte Department Store's sales division. "We will continue our next leap forward on the foundation of world-class culinary content and spatial experience."


korean@heraldcorp.com