By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
At the Hermes boutique in Shinsegae Department Store, one shopper from China walking through the door is enough to alert all six working staff members. Depending on their quality of service, the shopper could represent big money.
"There is always a chance that the shoppers leave empty-handed," said a saleswoman who asked not to be named, "but nowadays customers from China generally aren't considered window shoppers."
At high-end boutiques like Hermes, purchasing two to three items can easily cost more than 20 million won. But many tourists from China ― who've become richer thanks to the strong yuan ― have shown that they have that kind of spending power, she says.
Sales staff at Sulwhasoo ― an upscale local cosmetics brand ― at Hyundai Department Store know this well, too.
They say shoppers from China typically buy about 500,000 to 700,000 won worth of products, while a tourist from Japan spends less than 200,000 won.
"Japanese shoppers spend a lot less, but they're more picky while making their purchase," said Chung Ji-young, a marketing executive at Hyundai.
She said that these days, many Chinese consumers are focused on quantity, as well as quality.
Sales experts say that many visiting from China are buying in bulk - even at expensive stores like Cartier or Rolex.
According to the Rolex boutique in Lotte Department Store, shoppers from China have purchased 550 million won's worth of accessories this year, up 83 percent from last year's 300 million won.
"Our customers from Japan prefer bags and cosmetics, but our friends from China find more interest in pricier items such as watches and jewelry," said Yeo Dae-kyoung, a merchandiser at Lotte.
This naturally means that local retailers are benefiting more from travelers from China than Japan.
Department stores commonly say Chinese shoppers spend roughly 1 to 2 million won per visit, which is more than three times the amount of Japanese shoppers. And the shopping spree is expected to continue as long as the yuan's value remains steady.
"Retailers were boosted by a wave of inbound Japanese tourists earlier this year, but we're now seeing the Chinese tourists take their turn," said an official for the Korea Tourism Organization.
The KTO's latest tally shows that Japanese and Chinese represent 56 percent of inbound visitors here. The number of tourists from China is expected to climb 14.5 percent from last year to 1.33 million people, while those from Japan are set to go up 29.5 percent.
jhan@koreatimes.co.kr
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작전명 ‘대담한 악어”: 美, 北·中 겨냥 대규모 해상 훈련
