Couples preparing for marriage are emerging as a key customer group for South Korea's department stores, following foreign tourists and VIP shoppers. The country's three major operators have revamped or launched wedding membership programs in recent months, and sign-ups have climbed quickly alongside sales of jewelry and household goods bought for weddings. Industry officials attribute the response to discounts, cash-back rewards and the prospect of VIP status the following year.
New sign-ups for Lotte Department Store's Lotte Wedding Members program rose 35% between June 17 and Sept. 30 from a year earlier, according to industry data released on the 12th. Lotte overhauled the program in June, easing the requirements for using its benefits.
The increase was even steeper at Hyundai Department Store, whose Club Wedding program drew 163% more new members from May through September than a year earlier, following a revamp in April. Shinsegae's Wedding Vow Club, launched on Sept. 29, has exceeded its internal sign-up target by about 20%. Shinsegae brought back its wedding membership after a nine-year hiatus, having discontinued the previous version in 2017. Marriages nationwide totaled 146,656 from January through July this year, up 6.1% from the same period last year — meaning demand for the department stores' wedding programs is growing faster than marriages themselves.
Spending is rising as fast as membership. Sales to Lotte Wedding Members customers over the past four months jumped 65% from a year earlier. Luxury goods rose 50%, while luxury jewelry and watches surged 90%. Furniture and home appliances climbed 90% and 70%, respectively.
Shinsegae has seen a similar pattern since launching its program. In the week after sign-ups opened, sales at its luxury boutiques rose 43.2% from the previous week. Luxury jewelry and large home appliances gained 31.9% and 23.3% over the same period.
The industry sees a match between couples seeking to maximize benefits on wedding purchases and the stores' push to strengthen these programs. All three operators' wedding memberships are built around returning 5% to 7% of purchases as gift certificates or points, or applying an upfront discount — effectively a discount of up to 7% simply for joining. "As we add brand-specific rewards, extra discounts and double-mileage events, couples who care about price are paying attention to department stores," an official at one department store said. "Shoppers buying wedding jewelry respond especially well because the membership lets them earn mileage even at high-end luxury brands that normally offer no rewards."
Wedding promotions continue this month. Hyundai Department Store is holding a wedding fair through the 18th, offering double wedding mileage on purchases of luxury goods, watches and jewelry. On weekends, customers spending 3 million won or more at Samsung and LG stores receive up to 12.5% back in H Points, depending on the payment method. At furniture retailers including Ace, Sealy and Zinus, purchases made with a Hyundai Department Store card earn up to 18%. Its Trade Center branch is running a bedding festival from the 16th to the 22nd with discounts of up to 70%, while its Mokdong branch is hosting a pop-up through the 22nd offering up to 45% off Sealy and Tempur mattresses.
Lotte Department Store followed a wedding fair held from the 2nd through the 11th with an event for ceremony wear aimed at self-planned weddings, running through late this month. Its Jamsil branch will host a pop-up for the dress brand For My Sis Eve from the 16th to the 22nd, with a 5% discount and mileage worth 1.5 times the purchase amount. On the fourth floor of its main store, the dress brand BAU by Bride&You opens on the 19th, offering discounts of up to 20% and 1.5-times mileage through the 25th.
Analysts also point to demand for VIP status the following year. "Because of the nature of wedding preparations, these customers frequently spend tens of millions of won in a single year," an industry official said. "Buying everything at one department store rather than spreading purchases across several appears to be an attraction, since wedding shopping alone can qualify them for VIP status the next year." The minimum VIP thresholds are currently 5 million won in purchases at Shinsegae and Hyundai Department Store, and 10 million won at Lotte.
Seeing wedding shoppers as potential long-term customers, the stores are also strengthening lock-in strategies. When Lotte's nine-month wedding mileage period ends, customers are automatically moved into a newlywed mileage program for another nine months of rewards. Hyundai Department Store offers Club Wedding members a 50% discount on regular culture center courses and partner discounts on honeymoon bookings. Shinsegae has teamed up with affiliates including Shinsegae Duty Free and Shinsegae Casa to extend benefits to honeymoons and setting up a first home.
"Customers may come to us first for wedding jewelry and household goods, but they can later become valued customers for children's products and parenting goods," an industry official said. "We will keep expanding the product categories, brands and benefits covered by our wedding memberships."