Hyundai Department Store teams up with global game firms to attract Gen Z customers

▲ Poster for the 2026 Roblox pop-up store at The Hyundai Daegu, provided by Hyundai Department Store. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

SEOUL, April 14 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Department Store said Tuesday it is stepping up efforts to strengthen content offerings using global game intellectual properties (IPs) as it seeks to attract younger customers.

The company plans to collaborate with global gaming firms such as Roblox and Riot Games to host regular pop-up stores and introduce related merchandise as signature content unique to its department stores.

Hyundai Department Store said it will launch a series of relay pop-up stores in partnership with Roblox at four locations -- The Hyundai Seoul, The Hyundai Daegu, Chungcheong branch and Ulsan branch.

The retailer previously held Korea’s first Roblox pop-up store at its Pangyo branch last year.

▲ The view photo of the Roblox pop-up store at Hyundai Department Store’s Pangyo branch in 2025, provided by Hyundai Department Store. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

A company official said the Pangyo event attracted about 170,000 visitors over 17 days, prompting the company to expand the number of locations and upgrade content this year. The official added the pop-ups are expected to draw a large number of customers in their teens and 20s, given Roblox’s popularity among younger users.

The first event in the series will run from April 22 to May 10 at The Hyundai Daegu.

The pop-up will feature a range of experiential programs under an educational theme. At the main venue on the ninth floor, visitors can explore zones based on popular Roblox games such as "99 Nights in the Forest," "CookieRun Card Collection," "Adopt Me" and "Byeongcheol’s House," along with quiz-based activities themed around subjects such as environment and art.

Special lectures on coding and digital citizenship will also be offered at the cultural center on the eighth floor.

A goods shop on the basement level will sell Roblox-themed items, including apparel, stationery and key rings. Customers who purchase a special kit priced at 125,000 won during the event will receive Robux, the in-game currency.

Following Daegu, the pop-up stores will be held at the Chungcheong and Ulsan branches in July and September, respectively, and at The Hyundai Seoul in December.

Hyundai Department Store said it will expand partnerships with other global game companies such as Blizzard Entertainment, while broadening its IP-based content to include character exhibitions and virtual idol festivals.

The company is also considering introducing popular IP content as regular merchandise at its offline stores and its premium curation platform, “The Hyundai Hi.”

The move comes as the retailer seeks to capture demand from younger consumers accustomed to online shopping and fandom-driven consumption trends.

At The Hyundai Seoul, where customers in their teens and 20s account for the largest share among its stores, more than 40 percent of some 600 pop-up events held last year were related to IP content such as games, entertainment and animation.

Notably, six out of 10 visitors in their teens and 20s to such IP pop-up stores were first-time customers at Hyundai Department Store.

A company official said the goal is to turn IP-based pop-ups from one-off events into sustainable content, adding the company aims to provide differentiated offline experiences beyond simple retail for younger customers.

jwc@yna.co.kr

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