Books alongside Fridges?

This is a book café where bookworms can read or purchase books while enjoying a cup of coffee. However, this is a shop for home appliances. Reducing the number of home appliances, the shop owner has displayed some books on shelves.

Most customers of home appliances are apt to leave the shop right after purchasing what they want. In order to make such customers stay longer at the shop, a home appliances retailer has joined hands with a book cafe.

[Jo Nam-Il, customer]
"It feels quite free to be here. I came here to buy one but I've bought both of them. The theme of this shop is quite good."

This men's clothing shop has offered 80 percent of its entire space for coffee and cosmetics retailers.

After taking on this collaborative business model, the shop's sales are now twice those of other men's clothing stores.

[Hong Seong-Taek, brand manager]
"We've displayed other products in front of our brands, in order for the customers to feel comfortable and new about this space, beyond a men's clothing shop."

This convenience store let in a famous gimbap chain to differentiate its services. The store has achieved synergy effects of attracting more customers and reducing rent.

Collaborative partnerships among different businesses have been made a new trend here in Korea.