What is driving the sales jump?

Sales of Korean outdoor apparel are climbing ahead of the autumn foliage peak. According to the data platform Aicel, card spending at The North Face White Label in September rose 111% from a year earlier on a department store basis. Growth hit 525% in August, and apart from March, every month this year has shown double-digit gains.

What is The North Face White Label?

Launched in 2011, the line was the first casual range from a Korean outdoor brand, designed to attract people in their 10s and 20s rather than the 40s and 50s who make up most of the outdoor market. Aggressive marketing, including sponsorship of the street dance show Street Woman Fighter, has helped it win over Gen Z.

Why are foreign tourists buying it?

The White Label line is exclusive to Korea and cannot be bought overseas. That has made it a must-buy item on many visitors' Korea shopping lists. On October 7, operator Youngwon Outdoor opened a second flagship store in Myeongdong, Seoul, stocked entirely with White Label products.

Are other brands seeing the same boom?

Yes. Kolon Sport's Myeongdong flagship, opened earlier this year, is now a hub for global customers, with Kolon FnC saying 98% of its foreign visitors are Chinese. September card spending at Kolon Sport rose 16%, while Arc'teryx rose about 50% and Patagonia 45%.

How big is the hiking boom?

National parks drew more than 46 million visitors in 2013 and 2014, but the COVID-19 pandemic cut hiking numbers and hurt brands like K2, Nepa and Blackyak. Visitors recovered to 40.66 million in 2024 and reached 43.31 million last year, up 6.5%. Foreign visitors more than doubled, from 890,000 in 2024 to 2.05 million last year. The Korea Tourism Organization and the Korea National Park Service aim to reach 3 million foreign visitors by 2028 and are developing trekking products.

For international fans

If you are visiting Korea, Myeongdong is a central shopping area for outdoor brands, and the North Face White Label is sold only in Korea. Trekking tours are also expanding as part of national efforts to attract more international hikers.