“Common Ground,” a niche shopping mall in Seoul, has achieved profits of 10 billion won ($8.4 million), company officials said.

Common Ground was launched in April by Kolon Industries. Kolon decided to set up its mall in disused shipping containers in order to shed light on dying commercial areas, as well as promote small and medium-sized brands.

Common Ground established its identity by hosting unique, up-and-coming brands rather than the established names in retail found in most major shopping areas.


With an unconventional container structure and unusual brands, the pop-up mall has risen quickly as a hot spot for young customers - especially its restaurants.

Analog Kitchen, which ran a single establishment in Hannam-dong, Seoul, entered Common Ground and became one of the most popular restaurants in the area with revenue of 100 million won per month on average.

Hand in Hand Burger, which began as a tiny shop in Hongdae in 2010 also became a popular establishment here with American-style handmade burgers.

A noteworthy clothing brand in the area is “Apparel Lounge,” a men’s clothing brand targeting fashion conscious men in their 20s and 30s which pulled in around 90 million won last May.

By Sang Youn-joo (sangyj@heraldcorp.com)