As the monsoon season ends and extreme heat sets in earnest, customers are flocking to complex shopping malls, the "urban vacation spots." With shopping, food and beverage (F&B), cultural and experiential content, and rest all available in one place, demand for so-called "mallcance" (a combination of complex mall and vacance) is expanding. Complex malls, in turn, are planning experiential events that allow family customers to stay for extended periods, competing to attract shoppers.
According to the retail industry on the 27th, sales at Lotte World Mall in Jamsil, a representative complex mall, rose 25% year-on-year during the fourth week of July (July 20-26), when the heatwave began in earnest after the monsoon ended. The Hyundai Seoul and I'Park Mall also saw sales increase 22% and 24%, respectively, over the same period.
The upward sales trend was also clear when expanded to all of July, which alternated between monsoon rains and heatwaves. Lotte World Mall's July sales rose 30% year-on-year and 20% from the previous month. I'Park Mall's July sales also increased 32% year-on-year and 14% from the previous month.
The industry believes the impact came largely from an increase in consumers visiting complex malls to escape the heat as the summer's intense heat raged. Last weekend, the Korea Meteorological Administration issued a "severe heatwave warning," implemented for the first time this year, for southern regions including Daegu. The severe heatwave warning is the highest-level heatwave advisory, issued when the daily maximum apparent temperature reaches 38 degrees or higher, or the daily maximum temperature reaches 39 degrees or higher, in areas where the daily maximum apparent temperature has remained at 35 degrees or higher for two days. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety decided to raise the heatwave disaster crisis alert to the "serious" level as of 3 p.m. on the 27th and to activate the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
"Unlike last year, with fickle weather featuring frequent rain and heatwaves continuing, demand for 'mallcance' — spending the day in a comfortable indoor environment — is on the rise," a retail industry official said. "There is a growing atmosphere of customers staying for extended periods, handling shopping, dining, dessert, and entertainment elements all at once inside the mall."
The complex mall industry plans to boost customer traffic by preparing various events to attract weekend family visitors during the "sweltering heat" of August. In particular, operating strategies are also shifting toward experience-oriented content to extend dwell time inside the malls.
Lotte World Mall and others are running "Freeze the Moment," a summer-themed prize event, through August. In the case of "Lotte Town Jamsil," which encompasses Lotte Department Store's Jamsil branch and Lotte World Mall, the initiative was launched with the expectation that customers' average in-store dwell time in July and August will increase by more than 20% compared to normal periods. Starfield Suwon will also hold an event in August allowing running inside the shopping mall.
The Hyundai Seoul is holding a pop-up event commemorating the release of the film "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" through the 4th of next month, targeting family customers. IFC Mall is also holding a "Newtro Game Festival" through the 15th of next month. The event combines games that were popular in arcades of the past with modern experiential elements, structured so that not only children but also the parent generation can enjoy them together. I'Park Mall will unveil experiential pop-ups in August, such as "Mallang Festa in Seoul," utilizing "Mallang" and "Wakppu," which have recently soared in popularity across generations.
"Recently, the complex mall industry has been trending toward preparing complex content that allows people to experience various forms of entertainment in one space to boost customer traffic," another retail industry official emphasized. "We are focusing on providing customers with special experiences by preparing content that combines not only shopping and F&B but also hard-to-find unique experiences such as sports competitions, ecological experiences, and cultural performances."
