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Shinsegae and retailers look to make most of tourism during trifecta of regional Asian holidays

Published: 29 Apr. 2026, 17:57 Updated: 29 Apr. 2026, 19:59

KIM MIN-YOUNG
[email protected]

The global service center in Shinsegae's Centum City branch in Haeundae District, Busan [SHINSEGAE]

Korea's major retailers are launching promotions for foreign customers ahead of next month's overlapping Korean, Chinese and Japanese holidays.

China's Labor Day runs Friday to next Tuesday, Japan's Golden Week falls during the same window and Korea's Children's Day next Tuesday follows this Friday's Labor Day public holiday. The convergence has retailers preparing for what they expect to be one of the strongest inbound tourist spending periods of the year.

Shinsegae is leading the holiday scramble. The department store’s Global Shopping Festa runs through May 10 at its main, Gangnam, Times Square and Centum City branches, with around 100 brands participating.

Tax-immediate discounts via WeChat Pay and tiered Shinsegae gift voucher giveaways are part of the offer. Shinsegae Duty Free, marking its 10th anniversary, is offering up to 30 percent in benefits to LINE Pay users through May 24.

Lotte Department Store is expanding its Lotte Tourist Membership, previously available only at the main branch, to its Jamsil complex. The membership offers 5 percent off at Lotte Department Store, 7 percent discounts at Lotte Mart and 10 percent discounts at Lotte Duty Free, plus 20 percent off at Lotte World Adventure, the Seoul Sky observation deck and Lotte World Aquarium.

The Lotte Department Store is seen in central Seoul on Oct. 30, 2025. [NEWS1]

Through next month, promotional discounts are running as high as 30 percent. Foreign sales at the Jamsil branch rose 25 percent last year and surged 95 percent in the first quarter of this year, with U.S. and European customers accounting for 30 percent of foreign sales — the highest share of any Lotte branch.

GS25 is specifically targeting Chinese visitors. Through August, WeChat Pay users will get up to 10 percent in exchange rate benefits, and UnionPay users will receive 15 percent immediate discounts at roughly 2,000 stores in central Seoul, Seongdong, Gangnam and Jongno districts through March 19 next year.

Emart is opening a Children's Day Festa through May 5 with up to 80 percent off character toys and digital playthings, including roughly 200 items tied to Pokemon's 30th anniversary. Coupang is running a Family Month kitchenware sale through May 7.

A GS25 store [GSRETAIL]

Musinsa, Korea's largest fashion e-commerce platform, has partnered with Japan's e-commerce platform Zozotown for a 12-day cross-border campaign running from Wednesday through May 10 at 15 stores where Japanese customers concentrate, including Hongdae, Myeong-dong and Seongsu. Zozotown members who verify their visit at participating Musinsa or 29CM stores receive discounts plus points usable on the Japanese platform.

The momentum of foreigner purchases in Korea is reflected in broader retail data. Sales at the country's 26 major retailers rose 5.6 percent on year in March, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources reported, with department store sales up 14.7 percent. The ministry attributed much of that growth to a record 2.06 million foreign visitors during the month.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]