At the Center of the Storm, Part 3
The executive meeting in the planning office on the ninth floor of Mirae Department Store began in a mood more buoyant than usual.
Over the past few days, the GyeolBit bedding corner had become the talk of the department store, and the VIP team had already begun to cautiously predict not only monthly sales of 700 million won, but even the possibility of topping 1 billion won.
Although nothing had been announced publicly yet, word of Cha Hee-ju’s special promotion had spread quickly through the company, drawing everyone’s eyes in that direction.
“We’ve had quite a lot of repeat customers since the VIP event.”
The head of product planning pointed at the presentation screen as he spoke.
“Early buyers have been highly satisfied, so some of them are bringing friends or acquaintances with them. We’ve also seen cases where customers liked the patterns so much that they bought extra bedding as spares.”
At that explanation, Lee Seo-yeon, the HQ director, nodded with a pleased expression.
“The market response is stronger than I expected. Even though these are high-end items costing over 5 million won per set, I was surprised by how much purchasing power the VIP customers we targeted actually had.”
As everyone nodded along, Cha Hee-ju, seated at the far end, watched the discussion about GyeolBit bedding in quiet satisfaction, a small smile on her face.
The unofficial condition that she would receive a special promotion once monthly sales reached 700 million won made her even more driven, and the target that now seemed within reach practically set her shoulders dancing.
“Ms. Cha Hee-ju? You said you had additional interior design ideas for the GyeolBit booth?”
Lee Seo-yeon passed her the microphone.
“Yes. With VIP repeat visits climbing higher than expected after this event, I think we need to reflect a more luxurious and delicate feel in the booth. Instead of simply displaying the bedding, we should recreate an actual bedroom and increase the hands-on experience. Of course, this would need to be shared with Haesol Textile, but looking at it now, I do think the current setup feels a little too plain.”
“Well, Haesol Textile said from the beginning that they wanted to keep the decoration from becoming too excessive, so... we can’t exactly force them.”
“I’ll develop a concept myself and coordinate with Haesol Textile. I don’t think this requires a full overhaul of the booth interior, so it should be possible.”
Lee Seo-yeon’s gaze on Hee-ju was remarkably warm.
If Hee-ju had simply ridden on the fact that she was the chairman’s daughter and spent her time coasting, Lee Seo-yeon might have given her surface-level courtesy while dismissing her inwardly. But her concentration and determination toward her work exceeded that of ordinary employees.
So there was no way not to like her.
“It’s good, but... if you’re going to put that much care into it, you know the sales need to be a lot higher than they are now, right? It’s practically being treated like a core luxury brand.”
“We were already discussing whether we should bring in Han Saet-byeol as an official ambassador through Haesol Textile. Since she’s the official model for Lesser Factory, I think it’s more than feasible.”
As soon as she said that, a small murmur ran through the conference room.
They were department store employees, so a small SPA brand wasn’t exactly their field of interest, but everyone knew how huge the results had been lately from Han Saet-byeol’s Lesser Factory campaign.
And anyone could imagine the synergy that would come from pairing her with GyeolBit.
“Oh? That much? Well, Han Saet-byeol is your friend, Hee-ju, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then, well... go ahead and talk it through. We’re prepared to support it.”
“Thank you.”
With a bright smile, Cha Hee-ju thought that now all that remained was her mother’s confirmed promotion.
As Hee-ju was indulging in those cheerful thoughts, in the vice chairman’s office on the eleventh floor, Cha Kwang-jin was receiving a brief report at his desk instead of attending the meeting, and the content made him deeply uncomfortable.
It was news that the sales curve for GyeolBit bedding was rising day by day, and that rumors of an internal promotion were becoming more concrete by the hour.
With a twisted face, he muttered irritably to his secretary.
“At the end of the day, it’s still just selling blankets. So what if it’s 700 million or 1 billion a month? Compared to cosmetics sales, it won’t be that big a deal. Everyone’s making such a fuss over nothing...”
He said that, but he knew perfectly well it was not something he could dismiss lightly.
Chairwoman Jin Sung-im had already given Cha Hee-ju almost her full support, and GyeolBit bedding was in the process of establishing itself as a high-end image in the domestic market.
Cha Kwang-jin tried to keep up a complacent front, but every report that came across his desk only made his anxiety grow.
“During the promotion period alone, sales came to nearly 500 million won. Even if 10 percent goes out through gift certificates, that’s still substantial revenue. And on top of that... the word of mouth keeps growing...”
Even so, when Seong Jae-ho, who had a habit of stating the facts too bluntly, dropped the numbers in his lap, Vice Chairman Cha Kwang-jin’s brow folded into a deep vertical crease.
“Should we bring in some overseas luxury brand too?”
“Should we?”
“What?”
“...”
“Do I have to think of everything?”
“I’ll organize it and bring you a report.”
“Good. Let’s do it right.”
Fatigue washed over him, and he closed his eyes.
He probably needed a nap if he wanted this annoying mood to ease up at all.
*
Hanil Global headquarters.
“Every time I come here, it feels like something good happens. It’s a shame it’s not our company...”
Seung-hyun murmured as he looked around the sleek, spacious lobby.
“If the company keeps growing, you’ll have a building like this one someday.”
“I hope so.”
My father should have lived to see this...
Leaving that regret behind for the moment, Seung-hyun rode the elevator to the large conference room with Director Hwang and headed straight there.
Guided by staff, he entered the conference room to find President Jeong Man-sik, Executive Director Han Se-gyeol, and the rest of the executives waiting.
Just the fact that the president himself was taking part in negotiations with a mid-sized company spoke volumes about Haesol Textile’s current standing, and Seung-hyun could not help straightening with a little more pride.
Today’s meeting was for Hanil Global to license the Urbantex technology to WindRover.
“It’s been a while, President.”
As they shook hands, President Jeong Man-sik said with a hearty laugh,
“You must have been busy with all the work. And to develop such good technology again in just a few months... I’m really realizing just how impressive Haesol Textile is.”
“We were lucky. Still, since you said you wanted to compete with Urbantex, I hope it works out well for you.”
Executive Director Han Se-gyeol immediately opened the contract and began explaining the detailed terms.
“As you know, this includes a signing bonus of 3 billion won and payment to Haesol Textile of 6 percent of sales from products made with Urbantex for WindRover. For three years, the arrangement is exclusive to Hanil Global.”
Since Seung-hyun and Director Hwang Seok-jae had already had the contract reviewed by the in-house legal team, they nodded and began signing.
At the moment both sides’ representatives stamped the final pages, the staff Hanil Global had prepared took photos.
As Seung-hyun handed over the signed documents, he said,
“Then this means Haesol Textile and Hanil Global are forming another partnership. There won’t be any problems with production, right?”
“None at all. Then the Urbantex technology will be transferred to our side. Honestly... I was practically hammering our research lab and the executives here not long ago, asking why they couldn’t make something like this.”
“Haha, I really was lucky.”
“This isn’t something luck alone does, though. It’s fortunate that we’ve secured fabric technology like this at a time when WindRover needs to leap forward again in the outdoor market.”
The deal gave Hanil Global exclusive rights for three years, after which the Urbantex fabric technology could be supplied to other companies as well.
After that, the conversation moved on to Lesser Factory’s overseas expansion.
On the large screen in the conference room, a presentation titled Lesser Factory Japan Entry Strategy appeared.
“First, let me introduce the early-stage promotional strategy devised by our local Japanese subsidiary, Hanil Global Japan.”
Executive Director Han Se-gyeol lowered his voice and took charge of the meeting.
On the screen, alongside various analyses of the Japanese fashion market, a marketing flow chart laid out how Lesser Factory could build recognition in Japan.
Pointing at the diagram on the screen, Han Se-gyeol continued his explanation.
“We’ve set the store location on the second floor of the shopping mall called Shibuya L-Court. It’s a mid-sized fashion mall on the main street, and we believe the second floor is ideal for emphasizing a ‘stylish SPA’ concept that differentiates itself from brands like Uniqlo and GU. Since it’s a route frequented by young people in Japan, it’s the perfect place to expose Lesser Factory’s casual line.”
Seung-hyun nodded and watched with interest, and Hanil Global’s marketing director, who handled the Japanese base, brought up Han Saet-byeol’s image as he continued.
“Han Saet-byeol successfully transitioned from a Hallyu idol to an actress, and she has quite a large fandom in Japan as well. In addition, she’s currently filming a drama, so if we sponsor it and place Lesser Factory there, I’m convinced the brand will leave an impression on viewers every time it airs in the Japanese market.”
Seung-hyun nodded and said,
“I’m curious how it’ll perform on social media. We might even be able to coordinate events with Han Saet-byeol’s personal fan community.”
“That’s certainly possible. On the day of the offline store’s grand opening, we’re considering a surprise visit from Han Saet-byeol. Once it’s confirmed, we’ll check her schedule through her agency. And if we also run a collaboration in the store in the form of a fan meeting with some of the Japanese fan club members, it would create massive publicity.”
The event scenario proposed by the marketing team included Han Saet-byeol personally wearing a new Lesser Factory outfit, stepping onto the stage, and taking questions from fans.
“Lastly, Hanil Global Japan plans to run ad banners on Tokyo subway lines and in major fashion magazines like Vogue Japan and MAQUIA. The main visuals will be jumpers and coats tailored for the fall-winter season, but in between we’ll naturally insert ‘Han Saet-byeol’s everyday style’ to imprint the image of ‘a differentiated SPA worn by Japanese trendsetters.’”
Han Se-gyeol steadied his breathing and asked,
“That’s the broad framework we’ve set. What do you think?”
“It’s detailed enough to show how much care you’ve put into it. The promotional costs will be considerable. Will that be all right?”
“Yes. We’ll reallocate part of the planning budget that had been focused solely on WindRover to Lesser Factory instead. Expectation for Lesser Factory has grown within the group as well.”
That alone made it clear how serious Hanil Global was about Lesser Factory.
As though all the stories he needed to tell had now been told, President Jeong Man-sik smiled warmly.
“There are very few fashion brands that have entered Japan and actually produced results. That’s why we’re also looking forward to Lesser Factory’s entry from inside the company.”
At first, when Seung-hyun was working with Taesung Apparel, his impression of large corporations had been very poor, but after working with Hanil Global a few times, that feeling had faded quite a bit.
Of course, he knew that was because Haesol Textile had the technology to stand up to a conglomerate.
“We’re nervous and excited in equal measure. We’ll do our very best.”
“Then let’s really make something happen.”
The two men, both surnamed Jeong, clasped hands firmly and renewed their fighting spirit.
*
There was one other person, besides Cha Kwang-jin, who was displeased by Mirae Department Store’s launch of the GyeolBit bedding brand.
It was Vice President Kim Jun-hyuk of Royal Department Store.
As reports kept coming in that GyeolBit bedding was making the rounds in the media and drawing VIP shoppers toward Mirae Department Store, the lines between Kim Jun-hyuk’s brows deepened by the day.
“We checked it, and apparently they pulled in quite a lot of sales during the promotion period alone.”
Vice President Kim Jun-hyuk gave a bitter smile.
If Cha Hee-ju at Mirae Department Store hadn’t snatched it away, Royal Department Store would clearly have been the one to benefit from the attention on Haesol Textile’s GyeolBit.
He had thought they had it all in hand, but he had never expected Chairman Jeong to change his mind so easily.
“Damn it, he got distracted by a woman...”
“Do you think President Jeong Seung-hyun did that because he fell for Ms. Cha Hee-ju?”
“If not that, then what? Why else would he go to Mirae instead of coming to us?”
“...”
“That explanation does make sense. If she had come to Royal, sales would have been at least double.”
“Of course.”
What they were saying was not entirely wrong.
Royal Department Store had far more VIP customers spending over 100 million won a year than Mirae Department Store did.
After thinking for a moment, Kim Jun-hyuk said,
“If we just let this pass, it’ll make us look ridiculous, won’t it? What would be good?”
After a little hesitation, his secretary said,
“There is a brand in Europe that once beat GyeolBit bedding.”
At that, Kim Jun-hyuk’s eyes went wide.
“Frette?”
“That’s right. If we bring that in...”
Vice President Kim Jun-hyuk snapped his fingers.
“Book me a flight right now. I’m going to Incheon.”
Without even waiting for his secretary’s answer, he grabbed his things and stormed out at once.