On the morning of July 12, 2025, the B1 floor of The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul, was bustling with an unusual vibrancy, a stark contrast to its usual calm atmosphere. This was due to the opening of a Don Quijote pop-up store, known as an essential shopping destination for Japanese tourists, which drew a massive crowd. The pop-up store resulted from a partnership between GS Retail's convenience store GS25 and Don Quijote, aiming to present a "localized Don Quijote" that blends the local Don Quijote store experience in Japan with Korea's night street culture.
GS25 and Don Quijote: A Successful Global Collaboration
This collaboration marks a continued partnership between GS25 and Don Quijote. In May, GS25 successfully completed its first project by setting up dedicated product displays within Japanese Don Quijote stores and exporting 13 Netflix collaboration products. At the time, items like "Squid Game Random Dalgona," "Netflix Cheese Dip Nachos," and "Squid Game Dalgona Popcorn" recorded high sales, with "Squid Game Random Dalgona" particularly gaining immense popularity, selling over 30,000 units within two weeks of its launch. This demonstrated the global impact of Korean content and the competitiveness of GS25's private brand products.
Overwhelming Enthusiasm on Opening Day, But Also Confusion Due to Operational Inexperience
The pop-up store is scheduled to run for approximately one month, from July 8th to August 1st. On the opening day, July 8th, a queue of over 200 people formed 30 minutes before The Hyundai Seoul opened, and within an hour of opening, the waiting list grew to 1,200 people, leading to an early closure of admissions, proving the explosive interest.
However, the small space, combined with an unexpectedly large crowd, led to complaints about operational inefficiencies. Consumers experienced significant inconvenience due to confusing waiting line instructions and conflicting information from different staff members. Jeong Eun-ji (29), a visitor on the first day, pointed out, "There were no proper explanations when waiting, and each staff member said different things. There were situations where people who just stood around were let in before those who had waited for hours." She added, "The pop-up scale was smaller than expected, and there were purchase limits, which was a big disappointment."
Indeed, compared to local Don Quijote stores in Japan, which span hundreds, or even thousands, of pyeong (approximately 3.3 square meters per pyeong) and showcase a vast array of products using a "compressed display" method, the 7-pyeong pop-up store at The Hyundai Seoul was very small. This led to feedback that it was difficult to fully provide consumers with Don Quijote's unique overwhelming product display and free shopping experience.
On the second day, July 9th, waiting list registration began at 7:30 AM, showing more stable operations than the previous day. By 12:35 PM, it closed with 600 teams, approximately 1,400 people. On the third and fourth days, it continued to enjoy steady popularity, admitting up to 600 teams (1,300 people) around 1:00 PM.
Local Prices, Japanese Shopping Without a Passport
The pop-up store offered a variety of products, including about 50 items from Don Quijote's private brand (PB), 'JONETZ,' as well as pop-up exclusive products from GS25 and Don Quijote, 10 items from GS25's PB 'Yours,' and 2 types of 'Mumussi' merchandise. Food items, particularly those considered "must-buy" at Don Quijote during trips to Japan, were highly popular, with some shelves completely empty.
The most notable aspect was the pricing policy. Products sold at the pop-up store were priced at levels similar to local Japanese prices, increasing customer satisfaction. Popular items like "Sesame Garlic Furikake" for 4,400 won, "Mentsuyu" for 1,800 won, "Soy Sauce for Eggs" for 3,300 won, and "Pouch Konjac Jelly" for 1,200 won received great reception. This, coupled with the weak Japanese Yen, offered the advantage of purchasing popular Japanese items at prices similar to or even cheaper than overseas direct purchases.
Don Quijote: A Testbed for Official Entry into Korea?
Industry observers view this Don Quijote pop-up store as more than just a collaboration; they see it as a testbed for Don Quijote's official entry into the Korean market. Pan Pacific International Holdings (PPIH), Don Quijote's parent company, has already been actively expanding into overseas markets, including Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, and some parts of the United States. Analysis suggests that this is part of their global strategy to explore the potential of the Korean market.
However, GS Retail emphasizes that this pop-up is a strategic collaboration between the two companies. A GS Retail official stated, "We pursued a strategic partnership with Don Quijote, Japan's representative discount store, to strengthen our brand awareness as a global platform and expand our overseas sales channels." They added, "We will solidify our position as a global distributor by building export-import networks with various global retail brands and actively developing differentiated PB products."
It remains to be seen whether this collaboration between the two companies will go beyond a simple pop-up, capturing the hearts of Korean consumers and leading to the larger picture of Don Quijote's official entry into the Korean market. Consumers are already enthusiastic about the opportunity to enjoy Japanese shopping without a passport, which can be interpreted as a positive sign for Don Quijote's potential future entry into the Korean market.
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