Missing BTS? Walk down memory lane and snag exclusive merchandise at Space Of BTS pop-up

SINGAPORE – While the members of K-pop super group BTS serve out their mandatory military service, their Army – the collective name for fans of the boy band – in Singapore is preparing for a different kind of battle.

The Space Of BTS pop-up store opens at Level 2 of Orchard Cineleisure on Nov 25. Though it will run for two months, until Jan 21, fans know the race to snag the hot-ticket items will be tight.

Civil servant Brenda Tok, 28, visited the previous pop-up at Funan in 2021, but left disappointed. “Within the first week, some of the items were already sold out,” she tells The Straits Times.

Thankfully, Ms Tok has first dibs this time.

She has been handpicked to be among the first few BTS fans to check out the store on Nov 24, a day before its official launch. Though sales do not start until Nov 25, fans are allowed to pre-order certain items during the preview.

Inside the 2,700 sq ft space lies a treasure trove of exclusive BTS memorabilia.

Among the 250 products are gems like the Artist-Made Collection, which will be available from mid-December. As the name implies, it features clothes and accessories designed by the group members.

The Artist-Made Collection will be available from mid-December. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Ms Ashlynn Sum, 39, who works in a tech company, has her eye on a wind chime ($83) by BTS leader RM.

“When I found out the pop-up was carrying these exclusive items, I got really excited because it allows me to get the items that I wasn’t able to at the time of the online sale,” she says, bemoaning how certain Artist-Made items sold out within seconds on South Korean fan app Weverse in 2022.

Also up for grabs are posters from BTS’ last concert in Busan in 2022 (from $26), Sowoozoo Pajama Sets ($99), umbrellas from their collaboration with fast-food chain McDonald’s ($33) and TinyTan figures of members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook ($26 each).

Tinytan figures of BTS members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

One-of-a-kind merchandise created especially for Singapore will be available at a later date.

The team behind Space Of BTS says it was conceptualised as a walk down memory lane for fans, by fans.

“We curated spaces that really bring you through the memories of BTS as well as the moments that they shared with fans,” says Ms Jannah Cheang, marketing manager of local creative company The Secret Little Agency, which brought the store to Singapore in collaboration with Korean marketing company Innocean.

“We really wanted it to be a way for fans to reconnect with BTS,” adds Ms Min Ng, The Secret Little Agency’s general manager.

That also means padding the shopping experience with familiar tunes and photo opportunities. For instance, fans can snap pictures with a life-size photograph of the band’s members.

Fans who spend $150 will get to decorate their own BTS-themed Christmas bauble. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Since debuting in June 2013, the K-pop juggernauts have gone from strength to unprecedented strength, dominating the American and British charts and sweeping a plethora of awards.

BTS are on hiatus till 2025, so “fans are missing them more than ever right now”, Ms Ng says.

For some, like events manager Diana Sinari, 32, the merchandise drop is not quite the same as having her K-idols back together, but “it’ll do for now”, she concedes with a laugh.