About 950 Types of Popular Character Merchandise... Shinsegae Department Store to Host 'Character Festa'

Character and IP Content Sales More Than Double
Blokees and Hobby Soul Hold First Pop-Up at Gangnam Branch

Shinsegae Department Store said on October 26 that it will host the “Blokees × Hobby Soul Heart-Pounding Character Festa” at the Open Stage on the first floor of Central City at its Gangnam branch through November 3. The event will feature about 950 types of products, with participation from global toy and figure brand Blokees and character merchandise specialty shop Hobby Soul.

The event was organized in response to rising demand for character and intellectual property (IP) products. According to Shinsegae Department Store, related sales from January to September this year more than doubled from the same period last year. This year, Shinsegae has been expanding pop-up stores featuring popular characters and fandom-backed content, including Pingu, Jeongseo Buran Kim Hamjji, and Ppangomi.

Courtesy of Shinsegae Department Store.

The event will sell figures based on more than 50 popular IPs, including Marvel, Star Wars, Pokémon, and Naruto, as well as character merchandise featuring Crayon Shin-chan, Sanrio, SpongeBob, and Hatsune Miku. It will also offer the “Blokees Hatsune Miku Strawberry Shortcake Limited Edition,” available exclusively at the Gangnam branch pop-up, and the new “Blokees Evangelion Action Edition Unit-00 and Unit-02 TV Version.”

A variety of interactive experiences are also planned. A photo zone featuring popular characters and large three-dimensional figures will be set up at the store entrance, along with an exhibition space where visitors can view plastic models and merchandise in person. The event will also offer various prizes, including a large Crayon Shin-chan figure and Marvel figures, through a “No-Losing Random Draw” in which participants can take part for 10,000 won per draw.

There will also be promotional gifts for customers. Customers who spend at least 50,000 won will receive a random character merchandise item, while those who spend at least 90,000 won will receive a character diary on a first-come, first-served basis. Gifts are available in limited quantities and will be offered until they run out. A follow event for Hobby Soul’s official Instagram account will also be held.

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