On the 28th, despite heavy rain, long lines of fans formed at the NewJeans 'Super Natural' pop-up store in the heart of Shibuya, Tokyo.
The pop-up store, which opened on the 26th of last month, saw its pre-reservations fill up in just five minutes. Only those who successfully made pre-reservations could access the basement level, and the system was meticulously organized to allow fans to enjoy the experience comfortably with timed entries.
The basement level was dedicated to "true NewJeans fans." In an approximately 40-pyeong interactive media experience space, characters created in collaboration with Takashi Murakami were displayed with NewJeans' "Right Now" playing in the background. Hani's voice saying, "Bunnies, have a great day today" elicited constant exclamations of "Kawaii (cute)" from the surroundings. Although the space was not very large, the layout was impressively efficient.
At the entrance, fans were greeted with collaboration goods by Takashi Murakami, members' autographs, and cute photo zones. According to the pop-up store staff, the most popular items were NewJeans T-shirts and hats, with the T-shirts selling out on the first day. The second basement level, accessible without reservations, featured practical goods like indoor slippers, eye masks, stationery, and pouches, showing that the store was not just about fan merchandise.
The prices were reasonable, with T-shirts featuring NewJeans characters priced at around 2,700 yen each, and smaller items like pens and pouches often costing less than 1,000 yen. In Korean won, the average price of goods was in the 20,000 won range.
Even Korean tourists visiting Tokyo heard about the pop-up store and visited. Lee Jin-sun, 32, who came with her husband, said, "Even if you're not a NewJeans fan, there's a lot to buy. The bunny-themed goods are so cute that I'm thinking of buying some as gifts for my coworkers," with a satisfied smile.
To ensure as many fans as possible could purchase a variety of goods, the policy allowed only one item per person per product. Most fans on-site praised this policy, with many commenting, "Min Hee Jin, the CEO of ADOR, is wise."
A female fan in her 20s from Taiwan added, "Buying NewJeans albums is less nerve-wracking because each one includes a photo card of every member," and humorously shouted, "Min Hee Jin, I love you," bringing smiles to those around her.