Zara introduced Zacaffe in Madrid in November 2024. (Image courtesy of Zara)
SEOUL, March 18 (Korea Bizwire) — Zara, the Spanish fashion giant, is set to open its first Zacaffe location in South Korea this May, launching inside the brand’s newly renovated flagship store in Myeong-dong, Seoul.
The move reflects a growing trend among global fashion brands incorporating cafés into their retail spaces, offering customers a more immersive brand experience.
Zacaffe Expands Beyond Spain
Zara introduced Zacaffe in Madrid in November 2024, integrating a café space within select stores to serve coffee, desserts, and branded merchandise, including tumblers, hats, eco-bags, and T-shirts. Following its China debut in Nanjing this month, the Seoul location will be its third global outpost, with an Osaka store also in the pipeline.
“Myeong-dong is a prime shopping and fashion district, attracting both locals and tourists, making it the perfect location for a flagship Zara store and our café experience,” a Zara representative said.
Zara also plans to introduce Korean-inspired desserts and a café design that reflects local aesthetics, aiming to attract both domestic customers and international visitors. The company is considering further expansion within South Korea.
Fashion Brands Embrace the Café Concept
Zara is not alone in blending retail and café culture. Luxury fashion brands have increasingly adopted coffeehouse ventures to strengthen their brand presence and enhance customer engagement.
- Ralph Lauren introduced Ralph’s Coffee to South Korea in September 2024, opening a café in Seoul’s Garosu-gil district, a decade after launching the brand in New York in 2014. The café, featuring classic green-and-white interiors and American-style menu offerings, has drawn long queues, even on weekdays. Ralph’s Coffee also opened a popular pop-up store at The Hyundai Seoul last month.
- Maison Kitsuné, the Parisian-Japanese brand under Samsung C&T Fashion Division, launched Café Kitsuné in Seoul’s Garosu-gil in 2018. The brand has since expanded to Hyundai Department Store’s Mokdong and Pangyo locations, as well as Shinsegae’s Centum City branch, where the café welcomes over 400 customer groups daily on weekends.
- Gelato Pique, a Japanese homewear brand, entered the café scene in September 2024 by opening Pique Café in Hannam-dong, Seoul. The café offers specialty crepes and gelato, aligning with the brand’s “comfortable luxury” ethos and attracting foot traffic to the store.
Why Fashion Brands Are Investing in Cafés
The trend underscores a strategic shift in the fashion industry. With the rise of e-commerce reducing in-store foot traffic, brands are reinventing retail spaces as lifestyle destinations.
“Online shopping has made it harder for brands to showcase their identity in physical stores,” a fashion industry insider noted. “By launching cafés and selling branded merchandise, fashion labels create a more tangible, memorable experience for customers.”
As more brands adopt café-driven retail strategies, the industry’s shift toward experiential shopping is expected to accelerate, blurring the lines between fashion, lifestyle, and hospitality.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
