Seven pop-up stores to run simultaneously at opening

Expansion to Lotte World Mall in Jamsil and other locations planned

A Nintendo store inside the Fandom Space IP specialty zone on the basement level of Lotte Department Store's Busan main branch. [Lotte Department Store]
A Nintendo store inside the Fandom Space IP specialty zone on the basement level of Lotte Department Store's Busan main branch. [Lotte Department Store]

Lotte Department Store will open an intellectual property specialty zone called Fandom Space on the basement level of its Busan main branch on Friday.

It is the first IP specialty zone the retailer has opened. Spanning 1,785 square meters, the space brings together subculture merchandise — animation, gaming, character goods and figurines — that had previously been scattered across separate sections of the store.

The Busan main branch was chosen as the launch site partly on the strength of sales among customers in their 20s and 30s. Word of mouth around Kinetic Stage, a dedicated pop-up space on the basement floor, helped push sales among that age group up about 15 percent in the first nine months of this year compared with the same period last year. A rise in foreign tourist visits to Busan was also a factor.

Animate, which sells merchandise and books based on Japanese manga and anime, will serve as the anchor tenant. Bandai Gashapon Official Shop, a capsule-toy retailer, and Ichiban Kuji, a character-prize draw concept, will also move in. Best Hobby, a plastic model and figurine store, will carry Japanese brands including Kotobukiya and Good Smile Company. Character content from Rilakkuma and San-X will round out the lineup.

Seven pop-up stores will open simultaneously at Kinetic Stage to mark the launch. One Piece Mugiwara Store, the Japanese anime brand, makes its Busan debut, joined by Harry Potter Mahoudokoro, LaLiga Webtoon — a collaboration between the Spanish football league and webtoon characters — along with Crayon Shin-chan, Hinakuu and Ppanggomi.

A stamp tour will run from Friday through Sunday. Customers who complete three missions — making a purchase, posting on social media and verifying a store visit — will be entered into a guaranteed-prize draw. On Nov. 8 at 2 p.m., the finals of a character cosplay challenge will be held at El Arena on the ninth floor, where 10 teams that cleared online qualifying rounds will compete with parades and performances.

Lotte Department Store plans to expand Fandom Space to major locations nationwide, including Lotte World Mall in Jamsil. Jin Seung-hyun, head of the Busan main branch, said the zone was built on fandom demand observed among customers in their 20s and 30s at the store. "We will make it a cultural space where people can enjoy the content and characters they love up close," he said.


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