A Land Korea starts expansion in USA by store opening

South Korean fashion retailer A Land, known as a department store format for millennial shoppers, has opened in Brooklyn, New York.

The store’s first Western Hemisphere location plays host to many of the same brands it features in its Asian stores, marking a point of difference from US fashion retailers. The majority of products on sale are South Korean, with high-quality low-cost items the norm.

The firm’s US president Nam Cho said, “It’s very unique, it’s different from what mainstream US fashion retailers are doing. We want Americans who are interested in fashion to come here and find something unique.”

A Land is a leading fashion and beauty retailer in South Korea, and is targeting expansion in Japan and Mainland China, as well as high-potential Southeast Asian markets where Korean pop culture influence is strong. It already runs stores in Hong Kong and Bangkok.

The company has no immediate plans to expand in the US, apparently seeing the Brooklyn store as a test bed in the market, although it is seeking to replicate its successful online business there.