Emart's monthly sales reportedly fell nearly 9% compared to the same period last year. Many analyses suggest that it could not avoid the repercussions of last December's state of emergency.
According to the Financial Supervisory Service's electronic disclosure system on the 12th, Emart announced that it recorded total sales of 1.4 trillion won in December last year. Excluding the supermarket that merged with Emart in July last year, the combined sales of Emart, Traders, and NOBLAND amounted to 1.3 trillion won, reflecting an 8.8% decrease compared to the same period the previous year (1.4 trillion won).
Emart's sales reached 925 billion won in December last year, a 12.0% decline compared to December of the previous year (1.05 trillion won). During the same period, NOBLAND's sales also decreased by 2.1%, while only Traders, a warehouse-type discount store, saw a slight increase of 0.5%.
Industry insiders believe that the sudden declaration of martial law by President Yoon Suk-yeol on December 3 last year likely had the most significant impact. The declaration reportedly dampened consumer sentiment, leading consumers to spend less. An Emart official noted, "Considering the political situation, the decision to move the sale period from the end of the year to the beginning of the year may also have had an impact."