Emart24 is set to enter India, becoming the first convenience store in Korea to do so.
Emart24 announced on the 24th that it opened its first store in India, BHS, in the Pune region of Maharashtra on the 21st in partnership with local subsidiary 'Jeong Brothers.'
Pune is one of India's economic hubs, home to numerous IT and automotive corporations, as well as various Korean corporations forming industrial complexes, and it has been reported to rank first among 111 cities in the 'Ease of Living Index' announced by the Indian government.
Emart24 expects that the Pune region, being an economic center, combined with the operational know-how of Jeong Brothers, which is already running 28 franchise stores, including 'Cafe Peter,' will not only ensure stable entry into India but also serve as a foothold for store expansion.
The Emart24 BHS store spans 12 floors, located within the Solitaire Business Hub, and operates on the 1st and 2nd floors in a duplex format, with a total area of 80 pyeong (264㎡), combining 55 pyeong (182㎡) on the 1st floor and 25 pyeong (82㎡) on the 2nd floor.
The 1st floor consists of an indoor seating area with 24 seats and outdoor seating for 32, offering space to sell Korean convenience store products such as snacks and processed foods. The counter also sells K-street food items like tteokbokki, hot dogs, and gimbap, as well as various coffee beverages and bakery products.
Notably, instead of a self-service model where customers boil the popular K-instant noodles themselves, staff will prepare the noodles for customers, reflecting Indian consumer patterns.
Emart24 anticipates that the variety of ready-to-eat meals at the BHS store will synergize well with the eating culture of Indians who prefer quick meals outside, especially in a country where dining culture has developed.
The 2nd floor is designed in collaboration with 'Argo,' a Korean self-photo booth specialist, to allow young Indian customers to experience and enjoy K-photo booths.
In particular, a variety of shooting props like character headbands and glasses, which could primarily be seen only through social media, are provided, allowing Indian customers to experience the photo booth in the same way as in Korea. Additionally, technology that allows them to download photos and videos to their phones for sharing with family and friends is also incorporated, creating a strategy to promote Emart24 naturally.
Furthermore, the cosmetics corner on the 2nd floor collaborates with 'Limesay' (a K-beauty distribution platform focusing on India) to create an environment where Indian customers, who are interested in the Korean Wave, can directly experience K-beauty.
Emart24 assesses the potential of the Korean convenience store business in India, which ranks first in population and has an average age of 28, considering the main customer base of the convenience store is young people in their 10s to 30s, and the rising interest in the Korean Wave and K-food.
The opening ceremony of the first store in India was attended by Yu Dong-wan, the Consul General in Mumbai; Kang In-seok, Emart24 COO; Peter Jeong, CEO of Jeong Brothers; Vinayak Sanil, Vice Chairman of Solitaire (local developer); and Shriram Mane, a local politician from Pune, confirming the high interest in the first entry of a Korean convenience store into India.
Jeong Brothers, which signed a brand licensing agreement with Emart24, plans to open a second store within the year, starting with the opening of the first store.
Moreover, including the opening of two more stores next year, there are plans to shift to a master franchise agreement and consider expansion into other regions of India.
Choi Jin-il, CEO of Emart24, said, 'India is younger and has a larger population than any other country, so we expect to create significant synergy with Emart24, which possesses various K-content. We plan to maintain a strong advantage in the local market based on India's high potential and growth prospects while differentiating our brand and products to ensure the successful establishment of K-convenience stores.'