SEOUL, April 29 (Korea Bizwire) — Department stores are scrambling to set up English kids cafes to attract young parents with large purchasing power.
A kids’ cafe is a large-scale indoor playground that comes with a cafe lounge for adults, a popular private facility among younger parents.
Lotte Department Store Gimpo Airport will open a 892-square-meter English kids’ cafe this Friday, staffed by native English speakers.
Hyundai Department Store Chungcheong opened a similar cafe last week, where native English speakers read picture books and teach art classes.
Shinsegae Department Store Daegu also opened a kids cafe last month, and the company plans to open another one in its Uijeongbu store.
“Parents used to be satisfied just by being able to send their children to a kids cafe while they shop. Now, they want more — they want their children to learn at the cafe,” an industry official said. “There is exceptionally high demand for English programs.”
Image Credit: Lotte Department Store / Shinsegae Department Store / photonews@koreabizwire.com