Emart's warehouse discount store Traders Wholesale Club (hereafter referred to as Traders) will open its Magok branch in Seoul on the 14th, as announced on the 13th.
The Magok branch, which is the 23rd to open, is a new location after 14 months since the opening of the Suwon Hwaseo branch (22nd) in December 2023, making it the second in Seoul following the Wolgye branch (16th, opened in March 2019).
It also symbolizes the first warehouse discount store in the Gangseo area of Seoul and the first large mart in the Magok New City. The Magok branch is situated in a massive commercial area with about 2 million residents within an 8 km radius, backed by diverse commercial districts including the old town, the new city, and offices.
The core consumer demographic, households of 3 to 4 members, accounts for 31.5%, while the population ratio of those in their 40s and 50s, who are the primary customers of large marts, is 32.3%, exceeding the Seoul city averages of 29.2% and 30.8%, respectively. It also boasts great accessibility with a dense road network, including Olympic Road and Airport Road, and is adjacent to subway lines 5 and 9.
Considering its excellent location, Traders designed the Magok branch to be the largest in its history. With an area of 11,636 square meters (about 3,520 pyeong), it is 1.6 times the size of a soccer field. Traders explained that it is over 10% larger than the Hanam branch, which records overwhelming sales.
Inside the store, 13 special sales pop-up spaces known as 'roadshow' areas have been set up to enhance differentiation. Traders prepared exclusive products centered around alcoholic beverages and significantly expanded office supply items.
The T-Cafe, boasting unbeatable value for money (quality relative to price), is also established at the largest size of 170 pyeong. It can accommodate more than 120 customers, including round tables.
Traders assesses that the Magok branch has the potential to reach the top tier of sales within three years. Additionally, Traders plans to open a new store in Guwol-dong, Incheon, in the second half of this year. Since 2019, the company has focused on expansion, with 9 new stores opened.
Warehouse discount stores are becoming a retail channel noted as the 'sacred place for grocery shopping' in the era of high inflation. Last year, sales increased by 5.2% compared to the previous year, reaching 3.5 trillion won, and operating profit surged 59% to 92.4 billion won, driving overall performance improvements for Emart.