BTS Concert Eve Sparks Shopping Frenzy as Merchandise Sells Out

Retail industry is heating up amid surging demand for BTS merchandise as the K-pop group's Gwanghwamun concert approaches. Global ARMY members—BTS's fan club—are preparing for the show by stocking up on light sticks and various goods, causing shortages at duty-free shops and driving up activity in secondhand markets. Department stores and other retailers are scrambling to capture foreign customers, anticipating the BTS boom will continue for some time. According to retail industry sources on the 20th, sales of BTS-related merchandise at Shinsegae Duty Free's K-pop specialty store "K-Wave Zone" surged 190% from March 11-17 compared to the previous week. Some items, including BTS keyrings and puzzles, sold out the day before. K-Wave Zone is a K-pop merchandise store that Shinsegae Duty Free has operated since January. As the concert date nears, the influx of overseas fans has driven up demand for related products. Rare merchandise unavailable through official channels is trading actively on secondhand platforms. According to local community app Karrot, average transaction volume for BTS light sticks called "ARMY Bombs" jumped 186% over the past three months compared to the previous three-month period. Search volume also rose 161% during the same period, reflecting heightened interest. Photo card transactions and searches increased 40% and 162%, respectively. Secondhand marketplace Bungaejangter also saw BTS merchandise-related searches surge 115% this year compared to the previous month, showing explosive demand growth. Notably, an unreleased Polaroid photo of BTS member Jungkook was listed at 5.3 million won, while a rare photo card of V appeared at around 800,000 won. The spillover effects from the BTS concert are spreading across the retail sector. Lotte Duty Free's Myeongdong flagship store saw foreign individual tourist sales rise 26% from March 11-17 compared to the previous week. The number of purchasing customers also increased 17% during the same period. Hyundai Duty Free's Incheon Airport and Trade Center locations recorded 29% higher sales and 21% more customers. The gains are attributed to overseas ARMY members arriving early before the concert and visiting duty-free shops first. As the Gwanghwamun concert approaches, retailers are ramping up promotional activities to a peak. Lotte Department Store is decorating its main store and Avenuel luxury wing with spectacular "Welcome Light" illuminations on exterior walls from the 20th through the 22nd, transforming the commercial district into a BTS theme zone. With foreign customer sales jumping 75% in the past week compared to the previous week, Lotte Department Store decided to extend the Welcome Light display by one hour on concert day. Hyundai Department Store plans to convert the first-floor pop-up zone at Hyundai Outlets Dongdaemun into a "K-pop Comeback Festa," anticipating an influx of foreign customers. The pop-up store, running until the 26th, will sell various K-pop merchandise including BTS's new album. Some companies are preparing for the long haul through April. After the free Gwanghwamun concert on the 21st, additional performances are scheduled at Goyang Stadium in Gyeonggi Province in April. Shinsegae Department Store is operating a pop-up store at its main store's "Heritage Museum" through April 12 as the only domestic retailer with an official Hybe collaboration. A retail industry official said, "BTS has dramatically increased foreign tourist numbers, creating unprecedented consumption effects. Sales growth is evident across the entire retail industry regardless of format."...