Foreign Tourists Mimic "SNS Reviews" Posted After Visiting Korea

Lotte Members Consumption Data Analysis
From Seongsu to Department Stores: Evolving Foreign Tourist K-Shopping Trends
Rising Purchases of K-Fashion Brands in Seongsu
Seaweed Soup Ramen and ZERO Snacks Also Popular

Spending by foreign tourists visiting South Korea is expanding beyond luxury goods and global brands to include domestic fashion brands and everyday food products. Analysts note that patterns of consumption are quickly evolving, as interest that begins on social networking services (SNS) before traveling to Korea leads to purchases in areas like Seongsu-dong, and post-trip, this is reproduced into new content, creating a virtuous cycle of content-driven consumer behavior.

On July 20, Lotte Members published the "L.POINT Foreign Tourist Consumption Trends Report," which analyzes the consumption journey and preferred product categories of inbound foreign tourists based on L.POINT transaction data from April 2025 through May 2026. The report, under the theme of "How Do Foreigners Shop?", analyzes consumption behavior from three perspectives: ▲Shopping begins prior to arrival ▲What items do foreigners buy? ▲Classifying foreign tourists based on experiences, not nationality.

Myeongdong Street, Jung-gu, Seoul. Yonhap News Agency

According to the report, foreign tourists’ consumption starts with content encountered on SNS before their arrival in Korea. As a result, Seongsu acts as a "point of origin" where visitors are the first to discover new brands, while Myeongdong and department stores function as "conversion zones" where verified demand is converted into actual purchases. After returning home, tourists' shopping experiences are further spread through SNS reviews and content, stimulating new waves of consumption.

Purchase categories are also changing. An analysis of Lotte Department Store’s foreign customer brand purchase data by customer count shows that domestic K-fashion brands popular in Seongsu account for 27% of the top 15 brands. This indicates that foreign spending is broadening beyond luxury and global brands, shifting toward local designer labels and trendy K-fashion.

There is also a clear tendency for foreign customers to seek authentic Korean daily experiences at grocery stores. Analysis of foreign purchase data at Lotte Mart Zettaflex Seoul Station branch showed high popularity for items that tourists encountered for the first time in Korea or could only buy via local channels. The "Paldo & Yangban Seaweed Soup Ramen," which Lotte Mart launched exclusively last year, ranked first in sales, while Lotte Wellfood's "Zero Fruits Jelly," "Zero Crunch Choco Ball," and "Zero Cacao Cake"—all part of the ZERO series—were each among the top five best-selling items.

Distinct regional consumption characteristics were also observed. In Busan, the share of Taiwanese tourists grew significantly. In both Lotte Department Store and Lotte Mart locations in Busan, Taiwanese visitors accounted for more than half of all foreign customers. Notably, at Lotte Mart, purchases of snacks (81%), instant ramen packages (69%), and processed seaweed products (61%) were higher than among foreign tourists in Seoul, underscoring Busan's unique consumption profile.

Lotte Members is also accelerating expansion of the "L.POINT Global Membership" in line with these changing consumption trends. It has improved the portal’s user experience so that tourists can register and review benefits before arriving in Korea, and is strengthening overseas marketing by partnering with global companies such as Mastercard and UnionPay.

A Lotte Members representative stated, "The L.POINT Trend Report’s distinctive feature is that it analyzes foreign consumers not just by nationality, sales volume, or popular items, but by their entire consumption journey and experiences," and added, "We will continue to strengthen data on foreign visitors through L.POINT Global Membership and support partner companies’ strategic decisions by tracking tourist consumption paths."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.