How Hyundai’s Mokdong Store Transformed Sleep Experience with Innovative Retail Tech

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[Asia Times—Reporter Bae Jong-wan] Hyundai Department Store’s Mokdong location has completed the largest renovation of its home goods floor since it opened. On May 5, the basement-level space reopened not as a simple fixture refresh but as a “lifestyle curation” area tailored to Mokdong’s affluent, highly educated households.

At the heart of the redesign is a focus on sleep. The new Sleep Fitting Room lets visitors test major mattress brands such as Simmons and Tempur, and pairs auditory content from YouTuber Brainer J—who has 800,000 subscribers—with scent marketing by Centon. The concept signals a deliberate strategy to commercialize the sleep experience by combining retail technology with sensory elements.

The merchandise mix has shifted upward in quality. High-end Nordic brands such as Fritz Hansen, StayH, and Entre Tradition have moved in to better match Mokdong shoppers’ tastes.

Notably, the store is running pop-ups for strong domestic niche brands like Baekjo Think and SizeOf, which blend practicality with trend. The initiative appears designed to appeal to the nuanced preferences of consumers in their 30s and 40s and to encourage longer visits.

A company representative said the redesign breaks with the traditional home goods model focused on space efficiency, prioritizing instead experiential content that invites customers to stay and engage.

To mark the reopening, the store has rolled out generous customer-appreciation offers and promotions from major brands including Ace and Tempur.