LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — While BTS’s chart-topping songs give fans "Permission to Dance," those fans are giving themselves permission to spend.
“They had a really good amount of stuff. They had every band and it’s really good!”
It’s a packed house at K-pop USA in Chinatown with people lined up inside and outside to buy merchandise. Many of them BTS fans.
“I got all of their Korean magazines. I’ve been looking for these online.”
Faith Vettrus traveled from Minnesota to get her BTS merchandise and says the purchases were worth it.
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“How much money did you on BTS stuff? More than I spent on our tickets tomorrow night. How much were those? Like over $300,” she said.
The store says over the past few days business has tripled and quadrupled with BTS fans in town attending the band’s sold out performances at Allegiant Stadium. Employees say the fans have been respectful and followed the store’s mask requirement.
“A lot of them have been really kind to you. Every person that has come in is kind of like a friend,” Jennifer Valdez, an assistant manager at the store, said.
At Bambu, a Boba tea shop in Chinatown, the owner has life-size cutouts of the BTS members and cup sleeves with the drinks. She says before the pandemic, BTS-related events the shop held attracted around 500-800 customers over two days. She expects the number this weekend to be well over.
“We had a lot of people reach out as soon as we started posting we were doing the cup sleeve. People reached out and emailed us,” Santy Luangpraseuth said.
Vettrus says while the pocketbook devotion to their BTS idols may seem a bit much to outsiders, the band’s message of love and inclusion is priceless.
“I just think they’re wonderful people and I think they’re real in who they are, and people really relate to that,” she said.
