Pricey Eye-Candy Attracts Shoppers
By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
As thousands of bulbs glitter the streets and buildings of downtown Seoul, December lights up the city into a Winter Wonderland. But ever wonder how much it costs and how long it takes to present this illuminated dress up?
Design experts say although the decorations stay up for just two to three months, department stores and hotels ― most noted for their elaborate presentations ― usually plan six months to one year ahead. And the price tag ranges anywhere from 100 million won to 1 billion won, excluding the daily electricity bill.
This year's ``Christmas Party'' theme of Lotte Department Store in central Seoul cost the retailer 900 million won for the interior and exterior installments, its competitor down the street Shinsegae spent a comparable amount to put up 300,000 lights along the building's outer wall.
Company officials said it took about 20 workers, six hours a day for two weeks to install the lights in time for the light up ceremony.
``The work had to be done after regular store hours, so from 8 p.m. to about 3 a.m. was the busiest time,'' said a company spokesman.
On the other side of town, Hyundai Department Store and Galleria Department Store each invested about two weeks as well, spending 300 to 400 million won each to present their seasonal themes.
Following the trend among major shopping centers overseas, where they stage decorations based on a movie or musical themes, local retailers have also recently been benchmarking ideas from these renowned malls, such as Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue.
But the holiday spirit isn't just for shopping centrals, as banks and even post offices have been showing off creative designs to have their buildings standout among others.
Hana Bank last year covered its entire building with 260,000 green bows ― its corporate identity color ― which took two months to complete.
``Whether it be hotels, shopping centers or banks, getting into the holiday mood is growing more attractive for company officials because it boosts their spirit and sales,'' said Stephanie Kim, a designer at Art & Deco.
A Galleria spokeswoman agreed, saying, ``Christmas lighting decorations have become a major annual competition among retailers. It's about how pretty and how fast you light up.''
She added that, interestingly, consumers get drawn to a shopping mall that has fancier decorations because they also want some good eye-candy while they're shopping.