Lotte Department Store to Revamp Brand Image, Starting with Shopping Bags... First Design Overhaul in 15 Years

Complete overhaul of design assets for 47th anniversary
New shopping bags to be introduced from November 15
“Serenity Blue” and ribbon graphic inspired by Goethe novel
Brand refresh follows appointment of Jennie as ambassador

Lotte Department Store is redesigning its shopping bags to mark its 47th anniversary. After appointing Jennie as its brand ambassador last month, the company is refreshing its brand image with a complete overhaul of its design assets, including shopping bags and gift certificate packaging.

The redesigned shopping bag unveiled by Lotte Department Store for its 47th anniversary, marking its first complete redesign in 15 years. Courtesy of Lotte Department Store.

Lotte Department Store said on November 12 that this would be its sixth design overhaul since its founding in 1979. The redesign focuses on adding a modern sensibility while preserving the symbolism of the existing brand. Inspired by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's novel The Sorrows of Young Werther, from which the name Lotte is derived, the design reflects the group's history and the department store's distinctive identity.

The new design's signature color is "Serenity Blue," inspired by the blue tailcoat worn by Werther, the novel's protagonist, and "Riviera Blue," a color used by Lotte Department Store in the 2000s. The existing champagne-gold color and ribbon design will also be retained. The new graphic, "Embrace Ribbon," uses the curve of a ribbon to represent gifts, hospitality, and a connection with customers.

Notably, the new shopping bags will feature the phrase "My Dearest and Best" instead of the brand logo. Inspired by an expression in The Sorrows of Young Werther, the phrase conveys gratitude and respect for customers, the company said. The bags will continue to be made from the same eco-friendly materials and will come in four sizes: extra-large, large, medium, and small.

The new shopping bags will be introduced at all stores in phases, starting with the Main Store and Jamsil Store on November 15, the company's anniversary. The gift certificate packaging will follow from December 1. The redesign was carried out in collaboration with the French design studio Saint-Lazare, which has worked on projects for global retail and luxury brands, including the Samaritaine department store in Paris.

Lotte Department Store plans to apply the new design to gift-wrapping materials and store interiors in the future. At the end of the year, it will unveil a large-scale media façade, "Lotte Town Light," at its Main Store and renovate the Cosmo Energy Plaza on the B1 floor. The company aims to redefine its brand identity by bringing together the ambassador change, design overhaul, and spatial renewal.

Park Jiyoung, head of the design division at Lotte Department Store, said, "This redesign is significant because it has reestablished the brand's aesthetic assets and identity by adding a contemporary sensibility to the heritage Lotte Department Store has built over many years. By expressing the enduring values unique to Lotte Department Store through a consistent design language, we have strengthened the brand's distinctive character. We will continue working to establish Lotte Department Store as an even more special and beloved brand in our customers' daily lives."

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