Jennie vs. Annie: Lotte-Shinsegae rivalry gets K-pop duel

What happened: Lotte Department Store signed Blackpink's Jennie as its first advertising model in nearly a decade, while Shinsegae featured Annie of Allday Project on its Myeong-dong billboard, as both chains court foreign shoppers. Key numbers: Foreign card spending hit 14.02 trillion won from January through August, up 48.5 percent on-year. Why it matters: Rising tourist traffic has revived celebrity-fronted campaigns that had nearly vanished from department stores, and both retailers posted strong revenue and profit gains as the rivalry shifts to cultural landmarks and media walls.

Lotte Department Store signed Blackpink's Jennie as its first advertising model in nearly a decade, while Shinsegae featured Annie of Allday Project on its Myeong-dong billboard, as both chains court foreign shoppers.

Rising tourist traffic has revived celebrity-fronted campaigns that had nearly vanished from department stores, and both retailers posted strong revenue and profit gains as the rivalry shifts to cultural landmarks and media walls.