Fans Line Up for Virtual Idol Collaboration Merchandise at Lotte Mart

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On the 1st of this month, a long queue formed in front of Lotte Mart at Seoul Station, even before the store opened its doors. This open run wasn’t for ultra-discounted items or daily necessities. Instead, the area was filled with fans eager to purchase collaboration products featuring the virtual idol group Stellalive. A store employee reported, "All of the stock was sold out in less than three hours on the first day. Since then, we have been receiving inquiries about stock availability and restock schedules."

The retail industry is increasingly strengthening collaborations with virtual IP (intellectual property). The popularity of virtual idols boasts a level of fan engagement comparable to that of traditional celebrities, establishing them as a new box office guarantee. Consequently, the industry is drawing fandoms formed in online spaces into physical stores, effectively expanding customer touchpoints.

After a successful initial launch, the second collaboration has also sold out quickly. According to industry sources on the 7th, Lotte Mart and Lotte Super launched the Heim X Stellalive collaboration at the end of last month. This special package combines products from Crown Confectionery, such as White Heim and Choco Heim, with the IP of Stellalive members. Notably, two random photo cards are included with the products. Pre-sales were conducted on the official online mall, and from the 1st of this month, offline sales began at all Lotte Mart locations and major Lotte Super branches.

The current project is an extension of the Cookdas X Stellalive first collaboration introduced in September. At that time, the product launched online concurrently with the ...

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