MUSINSA EMPTY, a select shop that showcases Korean and international designers’ brands, achieved a 50% year-over-year increase in GMV in Q1 2025, driven by an expanded selection of experimental and design-forward brands. The store is also gaining popularity as a go-to fashion shopping destination among international tourists visiting Korea, leading to a rapid rise in sales from foreign customers.
In the first quarter of 2025(January to March), MUSINSA EMPTY recorded a roughly 50% year-over-year increase in total GMV, combining both online and offline transactions. Leveraging its unique curation of fashion brands rarely found in conventional retail stores, MUSINSA EMPTY achieved strong double-digit growth despite an overall slowdown in consumer spending across the industry. For full-year 2024, the store also reported a 77% increase in GMV compared to the previous year.
MUSINSA currently operates two offline concept stores in addition to the MUSINSA EMPTY online store: MUSINSA EMPTY Seongsu and MUSINSA EMPTY BASEMENT Apgujeong. In the first quarter of 2025, MUSINSA EMPTY’s offline stores welcomed over 200,000 visitors, marking a 62% increase compared to the same period last year. At the current pace, cumulative annual foot traffic is projected to exceed 1 million by the end of the year.
One of the standout brands featured at MUSINSA EMPTY is grounds, a Japanese footwear label known for its unique and experimental designs. Founded in 2019, grounds is recognized for its distinctive transparent, bubble-like outsoles—often described as “gravity-defying.” Since July 2024, MUSINSA EMPTY has been the official distributor of the brand in Korea. In April, the MUSINSA EMPTY Seongsu store hosted a pop-up event featuring an exclusive edition, helping to further raise brand awareness among local consumers.
Another exclusive brand available in Korea only through MUSINSA EMPTY is CAMPHOR WOOD, led by Takuro Kusunoki, a model and influencer based in Japan who also serves as the brand’s creative director. Known for its grunge-inspired, original knitwear and shirts, CAMPHOR WOOD is planning to expand its presence among Korean consumers with a solo pop-up store at MUSINSA EMPTY Seongsu in August 2025.
SHUSHU/TONG, a womenswear brand launched in Shanghai in 2020, is also gaining popularity at MUSINSA EMPTY with its distinctive pieces featuring ribbon and ruffle details across dresses, jackets, and shirts. Known for its unique aesthetic, the brand has collaborated with global names such as ASICS and CHARLES&KEITH, and has attracted international attention as K-pop celebrities active overseas have been spotted wearing its designs.
As of the end of the first quarter of 2025, MUSINSA EMPTY Seongsu housed over 420 brands, with international labels accounting for more than half of the total. The store has gained a reputation among foreign tourists as a curated destination where they can discover both domestic and global experimental designer brands. Reflecting this growing interest, sales to international customers in Q1 increased by 82% year-over-year.
A MUSINSA official stated, “MUSINSA EMPTY is establishing its identity and expanding its influence as a platform that professionally curates experimental and original brands, with the goal of promoting greater diversity in the Korean fashion industry.” They added, “We will continue to focus on discovering and incubating new brands so that MUSINSA EMPTY remains recognized among international tourists as a high-sensitivity fashion destination in Korea.”