Retailers of BTS merchandise profit from K-pop chart toppers’ growing popularity worldwide

Fans of the seven-piece Korean boy band snap up products and rush to buy their previous releases as BTS’ latest album, Love Yourself: Tear makes history by topping the Billboard 200 album chart

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BTS became the first K-pop band to top the Billboard album chart with this month’s release Love Yourself: Tear.

Published: 8:32pm, 31 May 2018Updated: 8:32pm, 31 May 2018

By Jung Da-min

Retailers have emerged as the latest beneficiaries of the soaring popularity of K-pop act BTS as fans rush to buy their latest album and band merchandise.

Hundreds of thousands of BTS fans around the world are purchasing products, smartphones, apparel and other items promoted by the seven-member boy band online, while some even come to South Korea for shopping sprees.

With the group’s latest album, Love Yourself: Tear, topping the Billboard 200 album chart less than two weeks after its May 18 release, large numbers of overseas fans also rushed to buy their previous releases.

The seven-piece boy band are helping retailers sell not only albums, but figurines, facial mask packs and T-shirts.

According to eBay Korea, the release of Love Yourself: Tear led to a 40 per cent year-on-year increase of customers to its album and book and album sites in the month up to May 18, the day the album officially went on sale after a period of record presales.

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