MUSINSA STANDARD, the modern basic casualwear brand operated by Musinsa, is off to a strong start at its first store in South Gyeongsang Province. The brand has also unveiled a plan to support the local economy by channeling the foot traffic it draws as an anchor tenant inside the department store into the surrounding retail district.
According to Musinsa, cumulative sales at the Musinsa Standard Lotte Department Store Changwon store, which opened on Thursday, the 15th, topped 450 million won within four days of opening. That works out to an average of more than 100 million won in sales per day. On opening day, more than 100 customers lined up before the doors opened in an "open run."
The Changwon store occupies roughly 300 pyeong on the second floor of Lotte Department Store Young Plaza Changwon in Seongsan-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. While Musinsa Standard has operated stores in major Yeongnam-region cities such as Daegu, Busan and Ulsan, this marks its first entry into South Gyeongsang Province. The company sees Changwon as a leading industrial and economic hub of the province and a key urban area where consumer demand from surrounding regions converges, and it plans to use the opening to make the brand more accessible to shoppers in the region.
Lotte Department Store Changwon sits in the city's core downtown shopping district, near Changwon City Hall and Changwon Square. As a brand with strong appeal among young Korean consumers, Musinsa Standard expects to serve as an anchor tenant that attracts not only the department store's existing customers but also shoppers in their teens to 30s. The store carries a broad assortment spanning men's, women's and kids' lines as well as beauty and home products, targeting both young consumers and families.
The Yeongnam region has become a key growth base for Musinsa Standard's offline business outside the Seoul metropolitan area. Of the nine stores it currently operates outside the capital region, five are in Yeongnam cities including Daegu, Busan and Ulsan, and their combined sales for the third quarter of this year (July–September) rose 30% from a year earlier. The company said the strong early performance of the Changwon store, on top of the steady growth of its existing Yeongnam stores, has further strengthened its offline competitiveness in the region.
Collaboration with the local retail community is another hallmark of the opening. To mark the launch of the Changwon store, Musinsa Standard designed community-focused promotions in partnership with small local businesses. The aim is to leverage the drawing power of an anchor tenant popular with young consumers to steer department store visitors toward the surrounding district, helping local small businesses win new customers and revitalizing the area.
To that end, the brand signed coupon partnerships with eight local cafés near the department store. Customers who make a purchase at the store receive a café coupon book, while customers of the partner cafés receive a 10% discount coupon redeemable at Musinsa Standard Changwon, creating a two-way flow of customers between the store and the cafés. With three of the cafés, the brand also launched exclusive opening menu items built on each café's signature offering: French toast from Toi et Moi, Basque cheesecake from Nonslip and a yogurt bowl from Famous Benny, each finished with black detailing, the signature color of Musinsa Standard, to reflect the brand's identity.
"With a well-known brand like Musinsa Standard entering Changwon, we expect it to bring new energy to the local retail district," said Choi Hwi, owner of participating café Famous Benny. "This promotion in particular is a great opportunity to introduce our café to customers we've never reached before and bring them through the door, so I hope it becomes a catalyst for many different local shops to get noticed going forward."
The opening period also featured separate shopping perks. On opening day, a limited run of 50 "Super Bags," containing about 300,000 won worth of products including outerwear, knitwear and pants, was sold for 49,900 won on a first-come, first-served basis. On the 15th and 16th, the first 100 customers each day received a 50% coupon worth up to 50,000 won. Through the 18th, the store offered daily special prices on key fall/winter items such as fleece, corduroy and knitwear, and sold about 560 products across fashion, beauty and home at up to 60% off. Gifts including Musinsa Money and camping chairs were also given out depending on purchase amount.
Explaining the decision to open the store, a Musinsa Standard official said, "We have consistently received requests from customers in Changwon to open a physical store, so we chose to launch our first store at Lotte Department Store Young Plaza Changwon, one of the leading shopping landmarks in the South Gyeongsang region." Commenting on the store's performance since opening, the official added, "The strong interest in our first Changwon store shows that Musinsa Standard has secured solid demand in the regions as well, especially among younger customers. Going forward, we will strengthen our role as an anchor tenant that boosts foot traffic at key regional commercial facilities, while working with local small businesses to ensure the positive effects of our store openings extend to the surrounding retail district."
