This undated file photo, provided by Emart24, shows the company’s 100th convenience store in Malaysia, located in the commercial district of Kota Damansara, about 15 kilometers west of Kuala Lumpur. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 25 (Korea Bizwire) — Emart24, a South Korean convenience store chain, said Wednesday it has opened its 100th outlet in Malaysia and plans to launch 30 additional stores there by December under its expansion strategy.
The company entered the Malaysian market in June 2021 with a single store, operating under a master franchise agreement with local partner Emart24 Holdings.
A master franchise agreement allows the franchisee not only to open and operate its own outlets within a designated territory but also to sub-franchise them to third parties.
As part of efforts to attract customers, Emart24 plans to introduce new “counter food” products in collaboration with Korean animation company The Pinkfong Co., featuring Pinkfong Baby Shark, one of the most iconic characters in Korean pop culture, at all of its Malaysian locations.
Counter food refers to ready-to-eat items sold at convenience store counters in a food court-style format. K-food options, such as “tteokbokki” (spicy rice cakes), cup rice and Korean-style fried chicken, are already available at Emart24 outlets in Malaysia.
Emart24 also aims to obtain halal certification for all counter food items sold at its stores in the Muslim-majority country. Halal food refers to products prepared in accordance with Islamic Sharia law, which governs not only meat handling but also the processing of fruits, vegetables and other ingredients.
In addition to its 100 outlets in Malaysia, Emart24 operates 6,100 stores in South Korea and four in Cambodia.
“We aim to expand the number of outlets in Malaysia to 200 by 2026 and enter additional markets as part of our goal to become a global convenience store brand,” the company said.
Emart24 is an affiliate of Shinsegae Group, a major South Korean retail conglomerate that runs department stores, discount chains and various other retail businesses.
(Yonhap)
