An exterior view of E-mart's seventh store in Mongolia. [E-mart]
An exterior view of E-mart's seventh store in Mongolia. [E-mart]

E-mart announced Thursday that it has opened its seventh store in Mongolia, a decade after the South Korean retailer first entered the market.

The new store opened at UG Arena, a major sports and cultural complex in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar. An eighth store is set to follow at a Ulaanbaatar department store in November. E-mart also plans to expand its No Brand specialty stores — which entered Mongolia for the first time this year — to seven locations before year's end. The company opened its first Mongolia store in 2016.

The seventh store spans about 3,272 square meters, making it the third outlet to adopt E-mart's mid-size store format in Mongolia. The format offers flexibility by shortening the time needed to secure a site and prepare for opening. Designed to reflect the character of the surrounding retail district, the store is positioned as a family-friendly destination where customers can shop for daily groceries, dine out and enjoy leisure activities all in one place. Grocery products form the core offering, with K-food items and No Brand products given prominent placement.

The store also targets younger shoppers and office workers. It features a meal-kit zone catering to demand for ready-to-cook options, a large liquor section centered on beer and wine, and a specialty fruit corner selling sliced fruit and cold-pressed beverages. A sportswear and equipment lineup has been expanded for visitors to the adjacent sports facility. The store also houses a range of tenants, including Korean food and beverage brands offering coffee, tea and baked goods, as well as fashion, cosmetics, healthcare and lifestyle service outlets.

Since opening its first Mongolia store in 2016, E-mart has diversified its store formats — from large-format stores with strong customer draw to smaller neighborhood outlets. Building on its product competitiveness and operational experience, the company plans to expand its mid-size and specialty store models beyond large-format locations to increase touchpoints with local customers.

"Based on the strong trust and know-how we have built in Mongolia over 10 years, we are successfully expanding our business across large stores, small and mid-size stores, and No Brand specialty stores," said Kang Young-seok, E-mart's head of overseas operations. "We will continue to offer shopping spaces optimized for the lifestyle of local customers and the characteristics of each retail district, strengthening our presence in the Mongolian retail market."


korean@heraldcorp.com