Lotte Duty Free taps Chinese tourism boom with WeChat Pay and GS25 discount campaign

SOUTH KOREA. Lotte Duty Free has teamed up with convenience store chain GS25 and digital payment service WeChat Pay to launch an exclusive discount scheme for Chinese customers.

The partnership addresses the surge in Chinese inbound tourism, allowing Lotte Duty Free to enhance customer benefits by leveraging WeChat Pay’s extensive user base and advanced digital infrastructure for tailored payment solutions.

The promotion offers WeChat Pay users exclusive benefits at all Lotte Duty Free downtown stores and approximately 1,600 GS25 outlets in key tourist areas, including Jung-gu and Seongdong-gu in Seoul, Haeundae-gu in Busan and Jeju Island.

Shoppers using WeChat Pay at Lotte Duty Free will receive an automatic CNY50 (US$7) discount on purchases of CNY350 (US$48) or more, while those shopping at GS25 can get a (US$0.69) discount when spending CNY35 (US$5) or more.

These discount coupons are automatically issued to users’ WeChat Pay wallets upon payment, eliminating the need for manual redemption.

The promotion is available until 30 June or while funds last.

Until 31 May, Chinese visitors at Lotte Duty Free in Jeju can receive up to KRW100,000 (US$68) in additional LDF PAY shopping rewards based on their spending.

The retailer noted its plans to introduce more collaborative promotions to further elevate the shopping experience for international visitors.

Aside from this promotion, Lotte Duty Free is also rolling out exclusive benefits for All Nippon Airways (ANA) members, including an automatic LDF Membership Gold upgrade, KRW10,000 (US$7) in PRE LDF PAY credits, and discount coupons worth up to US$110 depending on purchase value.

Lotte Duty Free Head of FIT Marketing Team Choi Mi-hwa said: “With China’s Labor Day holiday and Japan’s Golden Week in the second quarter, we anticipate an increase in international visitors to Korea. Lotte Duty Free will continue to expand partnerships to provide the best duty-free shopping experience and benefits for both international and domestic customers.”