SOUTH KOREA. Lotte Duty Free today (11 January) announced the reopening of its revamped Star Avenue attraction on the ground level of the company’s Myeong-dong, Seoul store.
Lotte Duty Free said the expansion and new look reflects a recent trend among inbound visitors who increasingly prefer K-content and unique cultural experiences to pure transactional encounters.
As a result, the experiential elements have been expanded compared to previous iterations.
Star Avenue is an experiential cultural space created by Lotte Duty Free in 2009 to promote K-culture to international visitors. It offers a variety of attractions, leveraging the travel retailer’s heritage and signature content.
The new Star Avenue consists of three zones: the High Five Zone, the Large Media Wall and the Experience Zone. First up is the High Five Zone, located on either side of the Star Avenue entrance, features handprints of models created in collaboration with Lotte Duty Free. This popular spot among foreign tourists features a mirrored space that encourages selfie-taking.
After the High Five Zone, consumers encounter the Large Media Wall measuring approximately 23.5 metres wide and 4.25 metres high. Featuring a tunnel-shaped LED display, it offers a deeply immersive experience, Lotte Duty Free said.
Visitors can enjoy K-pop-themed signature content, as well as videos featuring Lotte Duty Free models and branding. The signature content, broadcast every 15 minutes, vividly conveys the experience of attending a concert, while photo spots allow visitors to capture special moments.
The Experience Zone, located opposite the Large Media Wall, consists of eight sections and offers a variety of interactive content, including games and videos. The games include a claw machine called Lucky Picker and Lucky Flip where visitors select a card.
Scanning the QR code in the media begins the game, and upon completion, visitors can receive various duty-free shopping benefits. The Large Media Wall and Experience Zone showcase exclusive Star Avenue content featuring Lotte Duty Free’s promotional models.
Lotte Duty Free Head of Marketing Namgung Pyo stated, “We have completely revamped Star Avenue to provide a more diverse and immersive K-content experience for tourists visiting Myeong-dong. Lotte Duty Free plans to sequentially introduce differentiated marketing strategies to attract both domestic and international customers throughout the year.”
Various promotions have been prepared to celebrate the renewal. Customers who participate in games at the Star Avenue Experience Zone until 12 February will be entered into a prize draw.
First place will receive a personal photoshoot package (studio, hair and makeup); second place Golden Goose sneakers; third place a Stonehenge necklace; and fourth place two aquarium tickets.
During the event, customers who spend US$100 or more at Lotte Duty Free’s Myeong-dong flagship or the World Tower Store in Seoul will receive a Star Avenue logo luggage name tag on a first-come, first-served basis. ✈
