SOUTH KOREA/JAPAN. Lotte Duty Free is hosting a wide array of promotions to encourage shopping by Koreans travelling to Japan – a sector that is set to boom due to the low Yen and Japan’s visa-free travel status for foreigners from yesterday, 11 October.
The change in regulations is expected to further boost an accelerating recovery in the world’s biggest duty free market. A Lotte Duty Free spokesperson said, “Despite the high exchange rate, domestic sales [i.e. sales to Korean outbound travellers] in the past three months have increased by +230% compared to the same period last year. We expect the upward trend to continue.”
This month Lotte Duty Free will award two first-come, first-served travel packages to Tokyo to 25 Korean customers who have spent more than US$4,000 at Lotte Duty Free World Tower in Seoul. The packages feature two-night, three-day travel to the Japanese capital, including Korean Air round-trip tickets and hotel accommodation.
In addition, a prize draw will see five customers who have spent over US$500 and who have completed an entry form receive two travel tickets each.
Lotte Duty Free is also featuring attractively priced Japan-related travel products on its live commerce broadcast in partnership with NHN Dr. Tour (www.drtour.com).
The travel retailer is selling travel packages to Osaka, including round-trip air tickets, hotel accommodation and travel insurance, in the live commerce ‘LDF LIVE Travel Love Duty Free’ programme to be held on 13 October.
The sale is for a three-day, two-night itinerary departing from Seoul or Busan. Lotte Duty Free will present KW20,000 (US$14) in LDF PAY value – which can be used like cash – to customers who reserve travel products while watching the live broadcasts.
Various other promotions will be held until the end of November for Korean customers who are planning travel to Japan. In downtown duty free shops, KW5,000 (US$3.50) in LDF PAY value will be given for purchases of $1 or more. Additionally, Lotte Internet Duty Free will present US$10 in ‘The Dream’ points for cosmetics and perfumes, and provide all Lotte Duty Free members with a -10% discount coupon for purchases at Lotte Duty Free Tokyo Ginza.
During the campaign period, LDF PAY KW30,000 (US$21) payments will be presented through a lottery to customers who write reviews about their trip to Japan on the promotional page of Lotte Internet Duty Free.
In addition, through Kakao Talk gifting on 14 and 21 October, LDF PAY 50,000 (US$35) coupons will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis at a -30% discount.
