TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A French supermarket giant is adapting to Taiwan's changing tourism landscape by creating dedicated facilities for its fastest-growing international customer segment. Carrefour's Xi-Men Kwei-Lin store (家樂福桂林店) will launch specialized checkout counters exclusively for South Korean tourists next month, responding to their surging numbers in Taipei's vibrant Ximending (西門町) district, a youth-oriented shopping and entertainment hub often compared to Seoul's Myeongdong.
The initiative stems from a strategic partnership between the retailer and HANATOUR (哈拿多樂), one of South Korea's largest travel agencies, reflecting a calculated approach to enhance service quality for what has become an economically crucial demographic. Store management views the collaboration as a direct response to changing consumer patterns that have transformed parts of central Taipei into increasingly Korean-influenced commercial zones, media reported on Thursday (April 24).
The retail adaptation responds to striking demographic shifts in customer composition, with Carrefour officials disclosing that South Korean nationals now represent approximately one-third of daily visitors to the Kwei-Lin location. Persistent congestion at standard checkout lanes, complicated by language barriers, has motivated management to implement a two-pronged solution: staffed registers with Korean-speaking personnel and modified self-checkout kiosks offering enhanced guidance to facilitate smoother transactions and reduce wait times for all shoppers.
The specialized service will commence operations in May, according to company representatives, who also detailed plans for an adjacent merchandise display strategically positioned near the dedicated checkout zone. This curated selection will showcase premium Taiwanese exports like the internationally acclaimed Kavalan whisky (噶瑪蘭威士忌), alongside local culinary specialties, prepared fruit portions, and ready-to-consume meal options — effectively creating a convenient final shopping opportunity for visitors preparing to return to their accommodations after exploring the neighborhood. ★
