Second House of Shinsegae Opens with Food and Beverage at Its Core

10th December 2025 | Korea

Shinsegae Department Store has opened the second House of Shinsegae, expanding its food and beverage led retail concept to Cheongdam dong in Seoul. The new location builds on the success of the first House of Shinsegae at Shinsegae Gangnam, which opened in June 2024 and quickly became a major draw for both local and international visitors.

The Cheongdam site occupies the former SSG Food Market and spans around 1,500 pyeong across basement and ground floor levels. Rather than operating as a traditional supermarket, the space has been repositioned as a lifestyle destination where food and dining are the primary reasons to visit.

An interior view of Twelve (TWELVE), the food hall on the first basement level of House of Shinsegae Cheongdam. ©Shinsegae Department Store

At the centre of the new opening is a large scale food hall named Twelve. Shinsegae has described the concept as a food hall curated with the sensibility of a fashion magazine, combining visual merchandising with carefully selected dining brands. The space focuses on freshly prepared food, wellness oriented menus and premium ingredients, with seating for approximately 100 guests designed to encourage customers to spend time in the venue rather than simply shop and leave.

Food and beverage concepts extend beyond the central hall. The ground floor features a range of specialist dining venues, including a premium Japanese restaurant that operates on a reservation only basis, along with wine and sake boutiques and contemporary casual dining brands. Together, these elements position the House of Shinsegae as a place for social dining and discovery rather than everyday grocery shopping.

Shinsegae’s first House of Shinsegae at Gangnam demonstrated the commercial potential of this approach. Located in the former duty free area of the department store, it recorded a 141 per cent increase in sales within its first year of operation. Average transaction values also tripled compared with the previous use of the space, outperforming food halls across Shinsegae’s wider department store network.

The Gangnam location also attracted a younger customer base and a noticeable increase in overseas visitors, driven largely by exclusive dining brands and concepts not previously available in department store environments. This performance has underpinned Shinsegae’s decision to roll out the concept to a second site.

Notably, the Cheongdam opening marks the first time the House of Shinsegae concept has been introduced outside a department store building. By choosing a standalone urban location, Shinsegae is signalling its confidence that food and beverage led spaces can function as independent destinations.

As department stores continue to adapt to changing consumer behaviour and the growth of online retail, Shinsegae’s strategy places dining at the heart of physical retail. With the second House of Shinsegae, the group is reinforcing the idea that curated food experiences are no longer a supporting feature, but a central driver of footfall, engagement and long term growth.