By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
A slender, polished girl looking head-to-toe ``Made in Italy'' glides out of a Chanel boutique, tosses her Prada and Gucci bags to her attendant and sips freshly squeezed orange juice while waiting for her valet driver to pull up. Not a movie scene, but this is a glimpse of what local malls' VIP shoppers get for service during an ordinary visit.
Following the business rule of catering to the biggest spenders, Seoul's department stores are going all out to please their VVIP (Very Very Important Person) customers.
While malls typically categorize VIPs as those whose spending is in the top 5 percent of overall sales, many are beginning to filter out the cream of the crop customers who in the top 1 to 2 percent.
Shinsegae Department Store tags its top 1 percent shoppers as S (Special)-VIP and this privileged class can enjoy free parking, access to the mall's membership lounge and community room.
After seeing that the SVIP group's 2005 spending accounted for 16 percent of overall revenue and is climbing year after year, the retailer is moving to beef up services even more.
Members are invited to musicals, golf and wine classes, along with cultural events, which serve as alternate meeting grounds for fellow shoppers.
Dubbing its most preferred clients as MVG (Most Valuable Guests), Lotte Department Store services personal shoppers for those who need an extra hand in picking out the best.
We have around three in-house veteran personal shoppers who serve as personal assistants, constantly communicating with our MVGs, so that they get what they want,'' said a Lotte spokesman.
The well-to-do shoppers are also guaranteed easy-access to transportation as they are offered free door-to-door luxury rides via the store's Mercedes Benz.
Another major player Hyundai Department Store is also competing to bring the best to its dedicated customers, but the affluent southern Seoul-based mall gives a little more than fun.
On top of the golf and cruise trips, VIPs are offered legal and tax consultations, along with medical services.
``Pleasing VIPs is definitely a competition for luxury department stores because the very best VIPs usually shop at only one destination _ repeatedly,'' said the Lotte spokesman. ``In that sense, we're always constantly looking for ways to better our special service for the special people.''