Shinsegae rated 1st among dept. stores

Shinsegae Department Store is the best in terms of the diversity of goods and service, while Lotte is next to none in terms of practicality.

This is an evaluation by a group of ¡°dainty¡± housewives living in the Kangnam district in Seoul on the department stores in the affluent area south of the Han River who have engaged in a hectic competition of late.

Goods and locations of shops:

In terms of the diversity of goods arrangement, new goods and the freshness of foodstuff, Shinsegae and Hyundai obtained high scores.

The housewives¡¯ evaluation team said that the department stores have similar assortment of goods but that Shinsegae and Hyundai secure a wide variety of famous goods and brands, while Lotte, excluding cosmetics corners, lacks a variety of brands, many of which are not well-known. However, Hyundai and Shinsegae give the first consideration to goods of high prices, causing them feel a considerable burden (in buying them), while Lotte deals with many practical brands of low and middle prices, Kim Su-Jin, a member of the team, said.

Galleria arranged the shops mainly targeting customers in their 20s, making housewives in their 30s feel somewhat alienated.

Customer service:

Also, in the field of customer service, newly opened Shinsegae received a good mark.

¡°The staff greeted customers warmly upon their entering the parking lot, and the salespersons answered a flurry of questions of customers kindly,¡± evaluation team members Kim Jong-Yon and Kim Yun-Su said. ¡°It was very impressive.¡±

In contrast, some employees of Lotte were chatting or showed indifference to customers, and many of the shops were found deserted by salespersons, the team pointed out.

Shop surroundings:

Latecomers Lotte and Shinsegae are well equipped with convenience facilities, and the circumstances around the shops are comfortable, the team evaluated.

¡°Shinsegae, which has a huge floor, is well equipped with devices to charge mobile phones, restrooms for the physically challenged, and convenience and rest facilities,¡± Chung Sung-Mi said. ¡°It was very nice to shop in Lotte, thanks to the playing rooms for children. But the problem is that Lotte takes care of the kids only for an hour.

Hyundai¡¯s Apkujong branch and Galleria were criticized for their small floor space, which caused inconvenience to shoppers. They also have not sufficient rest space.

Transportation and complaint handling:

Lotte and Hyundai scored well for convenient public transportation, including the operation of shuttle buses and good parking facilities, while Shinsegae has too complicated shuttle bus routes and it was inconvenient to ride. The traffic around it was also congested, according to the evaluation by Kim Jong-Yon and Kim Yun-Su.

As for the exchange of goods and refunding, all the four department stores have no serious problem.

Winding up their evaluation, the housewives said that they were glad because the fierce competition among the stores bettered their services, but many of them tended to deal with expensive goods and famous brands. They recommended that the stores sell more practical goods with variety.