After Homeplus applied for corporate rehabilitation proceedings in March, the conflict between Homeplus and tenant store owners regarding point-of-sale (POS) systems flared up again, sparked by the government's distribution of people's livelihood recovery consumption coupons. As some store owners swapped out their POS systems to utilize the coupons, Homeplus imposed restrictions based on contract violations.
Most small businesses operating in Homeplus are using the POS systems provided by Homeplus according to the initial tenant agreements, thus being excluded from the usage of the people's livelihood recovery consumption coupons. The store owners, facing reduced sales due to Homeplus's corporate rehabilitation application, are demanding the ability to use their own POS systems, even if only during the coupon usage period. Homeplus, however, maintains that this would violate government policy and could lead to consumer confusion.
According to the industry on the 6th, Homeplus recently notified some tenant companies that using their own POS systems for the purpose of people's livelihood recovery coupon payments constitutes a contract violation and could lead to legal action. As some store owners began using their swapped POS systems, Homeplus demanded they cease this practice.
The people's livelihood recovery consumption coupons can be used at stores operated by small businesses with annual sales of less than 3 billion won until November 30. While large supermarkets are excluded from the usage locations, the government stated that 'these can be used at stores run independently by small businesses located in large supermarkets.'
Store owners who have leasing agreements within Homeplus claim they belong to the usage locations for the people's livelihood recovery consumption coupons but are not receiving any benefits. This is largely due to their stores not having independent payment systems.
Homeplus tenant companies are divided into 'lessee A' and 'lessee B' based on their contract forms. Lessee A pays a fixed monthly rent and uses their own POS system, having an independent payment structure. In contrast, lessee B, which accounts for about 90% of all contracts, uses the POS system provided by Homeplus during transactions. The sales amount from tenant companies is transmitted in real-time to Homeplus headquarters, which later settles the difference after deducting some fees.
However, using Homeplus's POS system as a lessee B means that the payment location is recognized as that Homeplus store, making it impossible to use the people's livelihood recovery consumption coupons. Consequently, some tenant store owners under the lessee B contract began using their own POS systems, leading Homeplus to impose restrictions based on contract violations.
Competitors, including Emart and Lotte Mart, have similar contract structures. However, unlike Homeplus, there have been no conflicts between tenant companies and the supermarket headquarters. Since Homeplus initiated its corporate rehabilitation proceedings in March, the number of customers visiting its stores has decreased, and problems with delayed settlements have led to ongoing conflicts between tenant store owners and the headquarters.
Kim Byeong-guk, president of the Homeplus tenant store owners' council, noted that 'about 90% of small business owners operating at Homeplus have contracts in the lessee B form,' adding that 'the inability to use the people's livelihood recovery consumption coupons is significantly impacting sales.'
He continued, saying, 'The fact that the use of coupons has been rendered impossible due to the Homeplus POS system goes against the government's intention to stimulate the economy of small businesses,' adding, 'At the very least, the request of the store owners is to be allowed to use their own POS systems until the end of the coupon usage period at the end of November.'
The conflict surrounding the payment POS systems had flared up once in March. At that time, after Homeplus entered corporate rehabilitation proceedings and failed to timely pay settlements to tenant store owners, about 100 tenant companies, doubting Homeplus's settlement capabilities, began using their own POS systems temporarily during transactions.
These companies adopted a method of settling sales daily and remitting the net amount to Homeplus after deducting the agreed-upon fees. However, as this movement spread, Homeplus sent a notification in April to these store owners stating that 'using their own payment terminals (POS) without agreement is a breach of contract and could lead to disadvantages.'
A Homeplus official stated, 'We have established a system that allows the people's livelihood recovery consumption coupons to be used only at designated locations based on government policy,' adding, 'However, some tenant companies have independently replaced their POS systems or posted notices implying that the people's livelihood recovery consumption coupons can be used.'
This official further stated, 'This not only causes consumer confusion but also poses issues that may lead to future legal sanctions or administrative disadvantages, which is why store managers have requested corrections from those store owners.'