This photo provided by A.P.C. shows its in-store café in the Dongtan outlet of Lotte Department Store in Hwaseong, south of Seoul.
SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — The ‘teatime retail,’ a term describing the trend of opening ‘in-store cafes’ or strengthening a teatime service that applies to apparel and luxury stores, is emerging as a central theme for the retail industry.
The trend reflects the retail industry’s view that it is important to offer the experience of tasting and enjoying tea to attract customers who have become used to online shopping since the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the second floor of the Dongtan outlet of Lotte Department Store, which specializes in fashion and luxury stores, French fashion company A.P.C opened an in-store cafe, a first among its stores worldwide.
Swedish apparel store ARKET also opened an in-store cafe in Seoul, its first in Asia.
The primary reason why the retail industry is turning eyes towards in-store cafes is that they can lower the entry barrier for those in their 20s and 30s, making it easier for them to enter luxury and apparel stores.
Luxury watch brand IWC recently joined hands with a domestic coffee chain to open the ‘Big Pilot Bar’ at Lotte Department Store’s main outlet in Seoul.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
