At 10 a.m. on the 18th, a one-story building with a yellow exterior in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. The interior of the offline lifestyle concept store "29CM HOME" in Seongsu was filled with items that appeal to the tastes of the MZ generation (born between the 1980s and 2000s).
It felt like a space to experience with all five senses, featuring stylish Instagram-friendly photos of enamel mugs, mood lighting, handmade textiles, as well as emotional stationery and sensory beauty products.
29CM officially previewed the store for reporters ahead of its grand opening on the 20th. "29CM HOME" is the first home category specialty space introduced offline by 29CM, a fashion and lifestyle platform operated by the Musinsa Group. Its significance lies in being the first offline hub in a permanent store format rather than just a pop-up.
Under the concept of "tastes and all things marketplace," 29CM has organized the space into six categories: ▲Greeting lounge ▲Stationery ▲Beauty ▲Kitchen ▲Living. A total of over 6,000 products from 147 brands are arranged to enable customers to discover "their own tastes" as they move through the space.
This opening is the result of 29CM's content-based commerce strategy aligning with the strengthening of its home category. 29CM is actively absorbing the MZ generation's demand for "space experiences" by not limiting its curation to fashion but expanding it to various lifestyle areas. Since last year, it has restructured the home category under the "29CM HOME" brand and enhanced category-specific curated exhibitions through various product curation.
As a result, the home category showed explosive growth within a year. As of November last year, the transaction amount in the home category surged 150% compared to the same period the previous year, and sales during the "29CM HOME WEEK" exhibition in the first half of this year increased fourfold compared to January of the previous year, with the average daily transaction amount rising sixfold compared to the previous month. There are evaluations that the product planning capabilities and curation skills drove sales growth.
The location of "29CM HOME Seongsu" is also connected to an experimental brand strategy. Seongsu-dong in Seoul is already known as a MECARO for taste consumption among the MZ generation. It can also spread trends in Korean lifestyle to foreign tourists. Various brands from large corporate distributors to indie brands and global brands are attempting space branding by establishing offline hubs in Seongsu.
Through this positioning strategy, 29CM aims to expand the brand's "worldview" into offline spaces while considering the influx of new customers and community building. "29CM HOME Seongsu" is intended to function not just as a simple sales space but as a content hub where brand collaborations, themed exhibitions, and taste-based events can occur. Collaborations with nearby local stores in Sangsu will also continue.
Starting with this offline store, 29CM plans to accelerate the establishment of a lifestyle platform that crosses online and offline. The strategy will be refined around the home category, while simultaneously implementing data-driven marketing focused on the store experience.
A 29CM official noted, "29CM HOME Seongsu will offer visitors to Seongsu, who are coming to a globally growing commercial area, high-quality products and space experiences blended with local sensibilities," adding, "We expect that 29CM HOME Seongsu will establish itself as a lifestyle landmark representing Seongsu in the future."