Emart’s take on Don Quijote opens in COEX

Emart’s Pierrot Shopping store has opened inside Coex mall, in southern Seoul.

Aiming to be a “Fun and Crazy” destination, the 2513sqm two-storey store targets consumers in their 20s and 30s with a diverse range of 40,000 products.

On basement floor, there is a large collection of alcohol and snacks from Korean and foreign brands, along with wigs, costumes and a discreet space for ‘adult toys’.

On the first floor, customers will find goods as diverse as leather bags from brands such as Prada and Fendi, fresh food, cordless vacuum cleaners, smoking pipes, fake eyelashes and pet food.

One curious feature in the store is a smoking room which resembles the interior of a subway train. An information desk and electronic kiosks offer tax refunds for foreign customers.

A Korean version of Japanese Don Quijote chain, Pierrot Shopping store is designed “to be a place where young people can come to play and look around without a clear shopping purpose”.

“You can come here to find relief from everyday stress, casually pick up things that look intriguing and buy them just because they’re affordable,” said Pierrot Shopping’s brand manager, Yoo Jin-cheol.

While other large-scale retailers prioritise space and neatly arranged products so that consumers can easily find what they are looking for, at Pierrot Shopping the aisles are narrow and in some places it’s difficult for two people to pass.

The staff wear uniforms with “I don’t know where that is either” printed on the back.

Emart explained the intention was to make consumers venture more around the aisles, make unexpected discoveries and have a“fun experience”.

Emart will open two more branches of Pierrot Shopping this year with smaller footprints than at Coex; at the Doota Mall and in Nonhyeon, in Gangnam District.