Department Stores Become Heatwave Shelters: Full Parking Lots and Crowded Aquariums

"It was too hot, so we came to the department store with the children to find a cool place."

As scorching heatwaves continue day after day, department stores are playing a major role as "urban heatwave shelters" beyond just shopping spaces.

With kindergarten groups and families visiting during the vacation season to check out aquariums and experience facilities, parking lots filled up right after opening, and indoor areas buzzed with people.

Department stores are running their cooling systems at full capacity while accepting electricity bills reaching up to 1 billion won per month, enjoying a heatwave boom by enhancing resting areas and experiential content.

Record-breaking heat is changing citizens' summer escape culture as well as the retail industry landscape.

On the morning of the 28th, the first floor of Shinsegae Department Store Daegu.

Fifty-seven kindergarten children from Geochang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, lined up in front of the elevators with their teachers to tour the 9th-floor aquarium.

Other kindergarten groups arrived one after another, and soon the first floor of the department store was crowded with young children from the main entrance lobby to the front of the elevators.

It was also noticeable that teachers tightly held the hands of children who tried to run forward with excited expressions as soon as they entered the department store.

Director Lee (59) of Sinnaneun Gangnam Kindergarten in Geochang, Gyeongsangnam-do, said, "We came from Geochang to let the children see the aquarium," adding, "All the children love it and we plan to return after a pleasant tour."

On this morning, the 9th floor of the department store where the aquarium is located was in chaos as family visitors and group visitors flocked in.

According to the aquarium, four group reservation teams visited just this morning.

Parking lots filled up rapidly right after opening.

Simultaneously with the opening at 10:30 AM, parking up to the 4th basement level was fully packed, and around 11:15 AM, the 5th basement level also became virtually impossible to find empty spaces.

At the women's clothing section, customers flocked to a popular pop-up store, prompting a notice stating, "Waiting numbers in the 50s require a wait of more than 3 hours."

The waiting line for the store was long enough to wrap around neighboring stores multiple times.

A couple in their 30s who visited the department store with their child said, "Since it's kindergarten vacation, both of us (parents) took time off and came," adding, "It's good because there are things to experience without going far and it's cool. There is a limit to continuing water play, and in this kind of heatwave, a department store is the best."

According to the local retail industry today (the 29th), Shinsegae Department Store's Daegu branch sees its monthly summer electricity bill rise to about 1 billion won, an increase of about 30% compared to 600 million to 700 million won during spring and autumn.

Shinsegae Department Store's Daegu branch stated, "Internally, with the goal of being 'the coolest place in Daegu,' we are running cooling equipment at 'full capacity.'"

The reason department stores do not reduce air conditioning despite the burden of cooling costs is based on the judgment that a comfortable shopping environment determines customer satisfaction.

As the footsteps of customers seeking cool interiors continue, department stores have significantly strengthened air conditioning and expanded resting areas and experiential content to welcome guests.

Woo Byung-woon, head of public relations at Shinsegae Department Store Daegu, said, "The longer the heatwave lasts, the more we pay attention to managing indoor temperatures and resting environments so customers can stay longer to escape the heat," adding, "We are focusing on increasing satisfaction not just as a shopping destination, but as a cultural and experiential space."

As the heatwave continues, some department stores are seeing an actual increase in visitors.

Lotte Department Store's Daegu branch saw the number of visiting customers increase by about 15% over the recent two weeks from the 13th to the 26th compared to the same period last year.

Shinsegae Department Store Daegu recorded a 8% increase in sales and 444,000 purchasing customers, a 3% increase over the same period.

Hyundai Department Store's Daegu branch also saw visitors increase by about 10% this month compared to the same period last year.

On the 18th and 19th, when vacations began, visitors were tallied as having increased by about 20%.

Last weekend (the 25th to 26th), the increase slowed down to the 4% level as a heavy heatwave warning was issued.

However, the retail industry maintains the stance that the heatwave itself does not necessarily increase consumption.

The explanation is that pop-up stores, experiential content, and a comfortable shopping environment are core factors driving customer inflow rather than the sweltering heat.

A Hyundai Department Store official said, "Lately, the flow of customers moving centered around content such as pop-up stores and large events is clearer than the theme of heat."

In line with this trend, department stores are also expanding summer events.

Lotte Department Store is running seasonal summer marketing such as discounts on cooling appliances and nourishing food events tailored to the heatwave.

A retail industry official said, "As heatwaves last longer, department stores are growing beyond simple shopping spaces into complex cultural spaces to escape the heat and rest," adding, "We plan to continuously strengthen air conditioning, resting areas, and experiential content to raise customer satisfaction."
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.