Why foreign shoppers are flocking to this Seoul lifestyle store

Shoppers browse products at Seongsu No. 1 store in Seoul. Courtesy of 29CM

A lifestyle store tucked into Seoul’s trendy Seongsu neighborhood has become an unlikely magnet for overseas visitors, with foreign customers now accounting for more than half of its sales.

29CM, the curated commerce platform operated by Musinsa, said Monday that its Iguhome Seongsu No. 1 store has attracted more than 1.2 million visitors since opening a year ago, cementing its status as a leading destination for Korean lifestyle brands.

The store, which opened June 20, 2025, on Yeonmujang-gil in Seongsu, was launched as 29CM’s first offline lifestyle retail space.

Built around the concept of a “taste general store,” the shop brings the company’s online brand curation and storytelling approach into a physical setting.

Its growing appeal among international visitors has turned the store into what the company describes as a testing ground for Korean home and lifestyle brands seeking exposure to global consumers.

According to 29CM, international shoppers accounted for an average of 56 percent of total sales at the store from March 1 to May 31.

As Seongsu has evolved into one of Seoul’s most visited commercial districts for both domestic and overseas travelers, the store has increasingly served as a point of connection between Korean lifestyle brands and consumers.

Fashion accessories, including pouches and key rings, generated the largest share of sales over the past year at 25 percent.

Kitchen items such as plates and cups followed at 24 percent, ahead of stationery products at 16 percent and home textiles at 11 percent.

Buoyed by the store’s performance, 29CM has expanded its offline presence in Seongsu.

The company opened Iguhome Seongsu No. 2 in January and broadened its offerings into the food and beverage category.

On Thursday, it also introduced Danish design brand HAY on the basement level of the second store.

“Iguhome Seongsu has maintained steady growth, with sales last month rising more than 56 percent compared with July 2025,” a 29CM official said. “The growing share of foreign customer purchases is also increasing the store’s value as a place where Korean brands can gauge demand and consumer response from overseas visitors.”

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.