Alo draws lines at department stores once reserved for luxury labels

On a Friday afternoon visit to Lotte Department Store's main branch in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, one store stood out on the second floor among rows of luxury fashion boutiques: Alo. About 30 customers were queued outside waiting to enter, the line bending at a right angle to avoid blocking neighboring stores. "It draws a line even without any special events or sales," a store official said.

Alo is a premium lifestyle brand founded in the United States in 2007, offering a wellness-oriented aesthetic that spans yoga and everyday wear. Its price range — roughly 100,000 to 200,000 won ($144) per item — has earned it the nickname "the Hermès of yoga wear." The brand gained a following in Korea after celebrities including Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber were seen wearing it.

Alo entered the Korean market last July, opening Asia's first flagship store near Dosan Park. A year on, it now operates six locations. Two are standalone stores in Dosan and Hannam, while the remaining four are inside department stores: The Hyundai Seoul, Hyundai Department Store's Mokdong branch, and Lotte Department Store's main and Jamsil branches.

Industry observers are paying close attention to the merchandising strategy behind placing Alo in prime department store real estate. At The Hyundai Seoul, Lotte's main branch, and Hyundai's Mokdong branch — which opened Friday — Alo occupies the second floor, while at Lotte's Jamsil branch it is on the first. These are floors typically reserved for international luxury fashion, watch and jewelry brands.

"Alo customers are not simply sportswear shoppers — they overlap significantly with premium fashion customers," a Hyundai Department Store official said. "The floor placement was the result of a targeted customer analysis."

Alo is also drawing strong demand from foreign tourists, who have become increasingly important spenders for Korean department stores — Chinese visitors in particular. Alo only officially launched on Tmall, Alibaba Group's e-commerce platform, on Aug. 12, generating more than 10 million yuan ($1.49 million) in transactions within the first minute of opening day through pre-orders. The brand has yet to open any physical stores in China.

"Because Alo has no stores in China, it has become a must-buy brand for Chinese tourists visiting Korea," an industry official said. "Even as Alo begins its push into China, domestic purchase demand is expected to continue for some time."