Shinsegae is a South Korean department store franchise headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. (image: Wikimedia)
SEOUL, July 5 (Korea Bizwire) – Shinsegae Department Store VIP customers will now be able to enjoy VIP services offered by Le Bon Marché, the first ever modern department store, founded in France in 1852 and currently selling a wide range of high-end goods.
The partnership, which was finalized earlier this month, will grant Shinsegae VIP customers with access to Le Bon Marché’s premium services such as private shopping assistants, VIP lounge access, free delivery service to Korea, limo pick-ups, and welcome gifts.
In return, Le Bon Marché VIP customers will be provided with Incheon International Airport lounge access, personal shopping assistants and translation services, invitations to various culture events, and a concierge service for travel around Korea.
Le Bon Marché was initially founded as a small-scale novelty shop in 1838. (image: Wikimedia)
Le Bon Marché was initially founded as a small-scale novelty shop in 1838. It partnered with Aristide Boucicaut, an entrepreneur, in 1852, who made radical changes to the store’s marketing strategy by offering product exchanges, refunds, and sales promotions, all of which were highly unconventional at the time. The current department store was partly designed by Gustave Eiffel, making Le Bon Marché symbolic to the city of Paris, said Shinsegae.
Shinsegae has been active in its overseas partnerships, striking deals with Saks Fifth Avenue and Harrods for VIP services.
“By partnering with the world’s leading department stores, we’ll be able to upgrade the standards at our domestic stores while offering various products and services that only Shinsegae VIP customers can enjoy,” said Hong Jung-pyo, managing director of business strategy at Shinsegae.
By Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
