What: Hyundai Department Store has launched a foreign-only Global CX Advisor group to identify shopping pain points and improve services for international customers.

Why it is important: Hyundai’s initiative highlights the growing importance of multilingual service, AI tools, and customer segmentation in turning international visitors into loyal department store shoppers.

Hyundai Department Store has launched a Global CX Advisor group made up exclusively of foreign customers, a first for Korea’s department store sector. The initiative is designed to identify real pain points in the shopping journey for international visitors, moving beyond basic translation support toward deeper service innovation. The first advisory group includes five women from China, Taiwan, Japan, and Senegal, reflecting Hyundai’s core foreign customer base: women in their 20s and 30s, who account for the majority of foreign purchasing customers. Advisors will visit key stores, including Apgujeong, The Hyundai Seoul, Trade Center, Dongdaemun, and Gimpo, testing the full customer journey from product purchase and event participation to convenience facilities and lost-item services. Their reports and interviews will inform improvements led by Hyundai’s CX Planning Team. The programme builds on Hyundai’s multilingual AI assistant Heydi, which supports 11 languages and is widely used by foreign shoppers, showing how human insight and technology can combine to strengthen tourism-led retail.

IADS Notes: Maeil Business Newspaper in May 2026 reports record first-quarter results for Lotte, Hyundai, and Shinsegae, driven by a sharp rise in foreign tourist spending, experiential retail, and the global appeal of K-content. Asiae in May 2026 details how Korea’s three major department stores are developing distinct strategies for foreign customers, including tourist memberships, K-content pop-ups, global marketing teams, and differentiated services. ChosunBiz in March 2026 highlights the shift in Chinese tourist spending from Japan to Korea, with Korean department stores benefiting from targeted promotions and stronger international demand. The Korea Times in September 2025 shows how Lotte, Shinsegae, and Hyundai are strengthening VIP strategies, personalized experiences, and high-touch services to secure luxury demand amid economic uncertainty. The Chosun Daily in February 2026 explains how Korean department stores are moving away from traditional floor-by-category layouts toward immersive, lifestyle-driven environments that increase engagement and cross-category sales. Korea JoongAng Daily in October 2025 adds that cultural centres and academy-style spaces are being expanded to increase dwell time and loyalty, while Inside Retail in January 2026 notes that visitors increasingly favour value-for-money and lifestyle-driven purchases. These sources show that Hyundai’s Global CX Advisor programme fits a broader Korean department store strategy focused on foreign customer insight, service innovation, experiential retail, and tourism-driven growth.

Hyundai creates a “Global CX (Customer Experience) Advisor” position