BTS pop-up store in 1 Utama
Malaysian ARMY – or fans of the South Korean group, BTS – have been waiting for their chance to visit the band’s Pop Up: Map Of The Soul store after one was found in Singapore. The wait is now over, as eagle-eyed fans have spotted BTS’s logo on a hoarding for a pop-up store under renovation at 1 Utama Shopping Centre.
The pop-up store, located at 1 Utama Shopping Centre, G316 Ground Floor, LUXE Zone, has been confirmed by morningKall, which is responsible for BTS pop-up stores in different cities. Malaysians will be able to set our hands on BTS merch and take our own photos at the photo spots that pop-up stores are home to.
Update (7th September 2021): On 28th April 2021, morningKall announced that the pop-up store’s opening date will be from 8th May to 8th August 2021. The store’s opening was later postponed due to the nationwide MCO. It will now open from 8th September 2021 to 31st January 2022, as shared in the latest morningKall update on 6th September.
A list of SOPs released by morningKall states that those fully vaccinated can only enter the store, with a virtual queue system provided at the entrance counter. 30 shoppers will be allowed inside at one time, with 45 minutes to shop per person.
Store under renovation in 1 Utama
ARMY have plenty of things to look forward to in the coming months, including BTS’s collaboration with McDonald’s that’s bringing around a special BTS Meal to McDonald’s outlets on 26th May 2021.
Now, a pop-up store for the band’s Map Of The Soul tour – which had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic – is coming to Malaysia after only being available online to fans here.
Image credit: @printyoongi
Several fans, including Twitter user @printyoongi, have taken to their social media accounts to share images of the store’s hoarding, printed with BTS’s ubiquitous logo, as it is currently under renovation.
The minimalist logo is hard to miss for those who follow the group. The store will also be on the Ground Floor in the new wing of 1 Utama, in the vicinity of a Zara outlet there.
Image adapted from: @bngtancosmos
MorningKall, which has been making official announcements of the pop-up stores’ latest locations on their website and social media pages, including Twitter and Instagram, have yet to release information about the store in 1 Utama.
Nonetheless, the pop-up store in Bangkok is set to open from 1st May to 25th July, following the pop-up store’s last day in Singapore today, 26th April. So Malaysian ARMY should expect to see the store opening their doors soon in the coming months, and for the store to be around for more than a month too.
What to expect at the BTS pop-up store
The pop-up store in Singapore has plenty of merch inspired by the band’s Map Of The Soul albums, with everything from AirPod cases to cardigans, gel pens, face towels and posters up for grabs – and we’re assuming that these will most likely make their way to Malaysia as well.
Fans can also look forward to finding TinyTan – or animated characters inspired by the band members – merch here too.
Pop-up store in Singapore
Image credit: The Smart Local Singapore
Aside from splurging on the band’s merch to show off their bias in our daily lives, fans in Singapore also got to visit experiential zones where they took photos with sets from BTS’ music videos. With how large the pop-up store is looking to be in Malaysia, we’re hopeful that these will make their way here too.
Free door gifts, including a snap bracelet and postcard, were also distributed to fans at the Singapore pop-up store.
Free door gifts at pop-up store
Image credit: The Smart Local Singapore
Their Bangkok pop-up store is only open to ticketed guests. This means that fans will have to reserve a time slot before showing up to help with crowd control during the pandemic. Shoppers only have an hour to shop too, and have to arrive 15 minutes prior to their reserved time.
There’s no word on whether this will be the case for the Malaysia pop-up store, but it may reassure fans who are worried about snaking lines at the store that there will be physical distancing measures in place.
BTS pop-up store spotted by fans in 1 Utama
Malaysian ARMY have been holding out for BTS to make a concert stop here since their last tour stop here in 2015. This BTS Pop-Up: Map Of The Soul store will hopefully help fans tide over the gaping hole in their lives with merch and MV sets because many concerts have been put on a pause because of the pandemic – BTS’s included.
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Cover image adapted from: @bngtancosmos and The Smart Local Singapore