SM Entertainment plans to open an SMTOWN store in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam
This is the first time that SM Entertainment will be opening an overseas store that will sell foods and drinks along with the merchandise of their artists.
According to a Vietnamese online media outlet, VN Express, SM Entertainment had a pre-opening event at the SMTOWN outlet in Ho Chi Minh City and invited Kpop fans starting from July 3.
The official opening will take place between July and September. The SMTOWN store that will open in Vietnam will consist of 'SMTOWN & Store' and 'SMTOWN & Cafe'. The 'SMTOWN & Store' will sell the merchandise of SM Entertainment artists such as albums and posters while the 'SMTOWN & Cafe' will sell coffee and dessert.
SM Entertainment has stores such as the 'SMTOWN Coex Artium' that sell merchandise along with food and drinks but it is the first time they are opening a store that is of the same system overseas.
Meanwhile according to VN Express, "The popularity of Kpop and K-culture has increased in the Asian nations including Vietnam starting from the 2000s." They claimed that 51% of Vietnamese citizens listen to Kpop when they conducted a survey.
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I have visited Seoul, Korea and Ho Chi Minh City once as a tourist and would like to return again, but this covid pandemic is a travel barrier. How about another store in Manila, Philippines? Be sure to tag it as SMTOWN, to differentiate it from the local SM megamalls.