Shinsegae Department Store's 'Sweet Park' Visited by 12 Million... 1st Anniversary 'Bread Festival' Held

Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam Branch's 'Sweet Park' announced on the 12th that it will hold a dessert festival themed 'Blooming Sweets' for one month from the 15th to March 14th in celebration of its 1st anniversary.

Exterior view of Sweet Park at Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam Branch. Exterior view of Shinsegae Department Store.

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Sweet Park is a dessert specialty hall launched by Shinsegae Department Store on February 15th last year. It brings together bakery and dessert brands from around the world, ranging from traditional Korean snacks like yakgwa and gangjeong to French traditional baked goods, Belgian chocolates, and Spanish churros, all within an area of approximately 1,600 pyeong (5,300㎡).

Over about a year, Sweet Park has surpassed 12 million cumulative visitors, establishing itself as the best 'dessert sanctuary' where domestic dessert trends can be most enjoyed. During this period, dessert sales at the Gangnam branch more than doubled (108%) compared to the same period last year, and the proportion of desserts in the total food sales at the Gangnam branch jumped from around 15% to 30%.

During this event, 30 brands will showcase limited menus, unique new spring menus, and various promotions. Notably, the popular salt bread waiting spot ‘Betong’ will offer Spinach Basil Salt Bread using spinach and basil; the macaron brand ‘Kelkseoj’ will present a 3-piece box of ‘Rose Macarons’ infused with the scent of spring roses; and the churros specialty store ‘Minute Papillon’ will sell the trending overseas social media dessert ‘Churro Cheesecake’ (crispy churros filled with whole cheesecake) with various sauces for one month on a limited basis.

Gariget will launch ‘Gariget Mini Pie.’ At the fruit chapssaltteok specialty store ‘Hanjeongseon,’ the ‘Shinsegae Chapssaltteok,’ a perennial snow chapssaltteok made with white bean paste, will be offered as a Sweet Park limited menu. In addition, brands such as ‘Buchang Bakery,’ ‘Le Pain,’ ‘Mamang Gateau,’ ‘Mannadang,’ ‘Brouter,’ ‘Biscuiterie MO,’ ‘Slyfox,’ ‘Seasonique,’ ‘Auchi,’ ‘Index Caramel,’ ‘Jean Boulangerie,’ ‘Koun Koun,’ ‘Taegukdang,’ ‘Kitchen 205,’ ‘Pierre Marcolini,’ ‘Happy Happy Cake,’ ‘Knotted,’ ‘Surgi,’ and ‘Scope’ will sell limited and new menus.

Special pop-up stores will also be held sequentially during the festival period. From the 15th to the 24th, bakeries awarded the Blue Ribbon at the ‘2024 Le Pain Baguette & Croissant Championship’ held last December will open pop-up stores. The Le Pain Baguette & Croissant Championship is the most prestigious baking competition in Korea that selects the best baguette and croissant artisans.

From the 25th to March 7th, local popular bakeries will be invited and introduced. Notably, the pop-up of ‘Seulji Bakery,’ a steamed bun specialty store from Buan, Jeonbuk, which caused daily ‘open runs’ at the time of Sweet Park’s opening, will be held again. From March 8th to 14th, White Day, a collaborative pop-up store with CU convenience store will be held, introducing various and differentiated desserts reinterpreting CU’s bakery series.

Choi Won-jun, Executive Director in charge of food at Shinsegae Department Store, said, “Sweet Park, the largest in scale and with the most dessert brands in Korea, has continuously attracted interest and response for a year, surpassing 12 million cumulative visitors. We hope everyone enjoys a variety of desserts ranging from sweet gifts for couples or families to new flavors through the most diverse new menus and pop-up stores of the year.”

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