Lotte Department Store tops $744 mil. in foreign customer sales

Lotte Department Store said its foreign customer sales nationwide surpassed 1 trillion won ($744 million) on Tuesday, making it the first Korean department store operator to reach the milestone. The retailer, which already exceeded last year's total of 734.8 billion won in July, attributed the growth to demand for luxury goods and Korean fashion, food and cultural experiences. Its Myeong-dong shopping district operations in central Seoul generated about 520 billion won in sales to foreign customers. The flagship store has expanded Korean fashion offerings and themed events to attract overseas visitors. Foreign customer sales at its Jamsil complex in eastern Seoul doubled from a year earlier. Shoppers from North America and Europe accounted for 35 percent of foreign sales there, up 15 percentage from 2019. Growth also extended beyond Seoul. Sales to foreign shoppers at Busan stores rose 150 percent from the previous year, while those at stores in the country’s southwestern region, including Jeonju and Gwangju, doubled during the same period, according to the company. Luxury sales to fore