Seoul's Songpa-gu district has partnered with Lotte Department Store to channel the crowds flocking to Jamsil for the "Pokémon Starlight Paradise" event into local neighborhood shops.
The public-private promotion runs Aug. 16 through Aug. 31, designed to ensure that the buzz from a major event translates into sales for alleyway businesses rather than staying confined to large stores.
The promotion is tied to the "2026 Lotte Town Summer Market," which Lotte Department Store is hosting at the Arena Plaza of Lotte World Tower in Jamsil.
The Summer Market is the first summer flagship event Lotte Department Store has launched following its winter "Christmas Market." Themed "Pokémon Starlight Paradise" to mark the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, the event features a large indoor dome shaped like a Monster Ball, a media wall, interactive experiences and a pop-up store. Inside the dome, visitors can enjoy large-scale media presentations and hands-on programs.
Joining the promotion is straightforward. During the event period, customers simply need to spend 30,000 won ($21) or more in a single day at a Songpa Love Gift Certificate merchant or a designated good-price establishment in the district. The type of business — whether a snack bar or a café — does not matter, but spending cannot be combined across multiple stores. All payment methods are accepted, including gift certificates, cards and cash.
Customers who bring their original paper receipt from that day's purchases to the general information desk at the Arena Plaza entrance of Lotte World Mall can exchange it for a Pikachu plush keyring on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.
The district said the collaboration is intended to support both small-business owners and neighborhood commerce. Good-price establishments offer quality food and services at below-market prices, and together with Songpa Love Gift Certificate merchants they represent a key network for boosting local spending and easing household costs. Visitors get to pick up the sought-after Pikachu keyring while shopping for everyday needs, and local shops gain a valuable opportunity to meet new customers.
Participating stores can be found by searching "find a merchant" on the Seoul Pay+ app or by searching "Songpa-gu" on the Ministry of Interior and Safety's good-price establishment website. About 31,000 Songpa Love Gift Certificate merchants and 86 good-price establishments are eligible. Nearby commercial areas — including the Bangi-dong restaurant strip, Songnidan-gil and Hosudan-gil — are among the most prominent.
In May last year, the district ran a prize event tied to Lotte Group's "Pokémon Town 2025 with Lotte," in which participants entered using receipts from restaurants around Seokchon Lake, drawing considerable public attention.
Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Gang-seok said the promotion was designed "so that the excitement surrounding large-scale events can extend all the way to local businesses," adding that the district would "continue working with the private sector to create changes that small-business owners can actually feel."
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