[Edaily Reporter Kim Ji-woo ] HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD(069960)operates an advisory panel that evaluates the shopping environment and services from the perspective of foreign customers.

HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD announced on the 19th that it is launching the “Global Customer Experience (CX) Advisor” program, in which foreign customers visit stores in person to experience the shopping process and propose improvements. This marks the first time in the department store industry that an advisory panel composed of foreign customers has been established.

The first advisory panel consists of five foreign nationals from four countries: one from China, one from Taiwan, two from Japan, and one from Senegal. All are foreign residents currently enrolled in Korean universities or working in Korea. Their average age is 29, and all are women.

HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD selected foreign nationals for the advisory group based on their deep understanding of Korean culture and domestic shopping trends, as well as their extensive experience evaluating products and services. Reflecting the characteristics of its core foreign customer base, the group was composed primarily of women in their 20s and 30s. In the first half of this year, women in their 20s and 30s accounted for 70% of HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD’s foreign customers, and women made up 81% of that group.

Through early September, the advisory panel plans to review the entire shopping process at major stores with a high proportion of foreign customers, including the Apgujeong Main Store, Trade Center Store, The Hyundai Seoul, Hyundai Outlet Dongdaemun, and Hyundai Premium Outlet Gimpo.

They will personally experience situations that foreign tourists might encounter at the department store, such as purchasing merchandise, participating in events, using amenities, and reporting lost items. Subsequently, they will compile a report detailing any inconveniences and suggestions for improvement, share it with HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD’s CX Planning Team, and discuss improvement measures through in-depth interviews.

HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD plans to identify on-site the sources of inconvenience foreign customers face during the shopping process and incorporate these findings into improvements to the store environment and services. After Chuseok, the company plans to launch a second phase of the program, expanding the advisory group’s size and the range of participants’ nationalities based on the results of the first phase.

Previously, in June of last year, HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD launched “Heydi,” an artificial intelligence (AI) shopping guide service available to both domestic and international customers. Heydi provides information in 11 languages on pop-up stores, popular restaurants, exhibitions, and promotions at HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD and Hyundai Outlet locations. At The Hyundai Seoul, international customers account for 30% of Heydi users.

HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD official stated, “We will actively incorporate the on-site feedback gathered through the international advisory panel into our shopping environment and overall services,” adding, “Based on the results of the first cohort of Global CX Advisors, we plan to further refine our operational approach, including expanding the scale of the second cohort and diversifying the nationalities of participants.”