Musinsa, South Korea’s top online fashion retailer, will open its first brick-and-mortar outlets in Shanghai in December as part of its plan to roll out more than 100 stores across China by 2030, aiming to capture the country’s trend-driven youth market and generate over 1 trillion won ($712 million) in cumulative sales.
Musinsa Standard — the company’s modern basic casual wear brand — will open a flagship store in mid-December at the Parkson Shopping Mall on Huaihai Road, one of Shanghai’s busiest shopping districts with over 500,000 visitors a day, according to the firm on Tuesday.
The 1,300-square-meter location, which is the first overseas offline branch for Musinsa, will be the brand’s third-largest, following stores on Dongseongno in Daegu and in Hannam-dong, Seoul.
Linked with its recently launched Tmall flagship store, the location will provide integrated online-to-offline services.
The company said the Shanghai launch holds symbolic meaning, as it will serve as a starting point for a broader rollout across China, where young consumers drive fashion and lifestyle trends.
By year-end, Musinsa will also open a multibrand Musinsa Store on Anfu Road, which has been likened as Shanghai’s “Seongsu-dong” for its concentration of pop-ups and flagship stores. The store aims to act as a global hub, connecting Musinsa’s partner brands with Chinese trendsetters.
Starting with Shanghai, Musinsa plans to open more than 100 stores in China over the next five years. Three additional stores — in the Nanjing East Road and Xujiahui areas of Shanghai and in Hangzhou — are already scheduled for the first half of next year.
The company aims to top 1 trillion won in cumulative China sales over the next five years, targeting 2030.
“Next year, we will focus on expanding into southern China, where demand for Korean products and K-fashion brands is strong,” a Musinsa China official said. “We aim to strengthen both online and offline platforms to support the continued growth of our partner brands worldwide.”
hyelimchung@heraldcorp.com
