[Report] 'Gyeonggi Nambu Shopping No.1 Spot'... Traders Hwaseo Branch, Male Customers' 'Open Run'

Traders No. 22 'Suwon Hwaseo Branch' Opens Today
Aiming for Synergy with Starfield
Whiskey Discount Event... Young Men Flock on Weekday Afternoons

On the 21st, near Hwaseo Station in Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi Province, final preparations were underway for the opening of Starfield Suwon, scheduled for January next year. The newly constructed apartment complex with about 2,300 households and a maximum of 46 floors was also visible at a glance. This was the Starfield Suwon site, which Shinsegae Group is emphasizing as the "No. 1 shopping destination in southern Gyeonggi."

On this day, Traders Hall Sale Club (hereafter Traders) Suwon Hwaseo branch, located on the second basement floor, had its grand opening. This is the second Traders store to open in Suwon in over nine years since the Traders Suwon branch opened in August 2014. Jeong Da-woon (38), a local resident, said, "Until now, I had to drive about 20 minutes to use Traders," adding, "With Starfield here, I think I will visit often on weekends."

Interior of the Traders Hall Sale Club Suwon Hwaseo Branch, which had its grand opening on the 21st. A notable feature is the increase in the ratio of food to non-food items from the previous 6 to 4 to 7 to 3. Photo by Seongpil Jo gatozz@

Crowds Gathered on the First Day... Attention Drawn from the Entrance 'T-Cafe'

On the first day of opening, the store was bustling with visitors even during weekday daytime hours. From the entrance, one could hear comments like, "Oh my, there are so many people, it's overwhelming." Although there was some space to step, free movement was absolutely impossible. An E-Mart official said, "At any Traders store, many customers tend to flock on the first day of opening," adding, "Considering the cold weather, it seems even more customers came today." At the time the reporter visited Traders, the temperature in Suwon was minus 10 degrees Celsius.

Upon entering the store, the largest-scale 'T-Cafe' caught the eye. With 92 seats and six round tables, it can accommodate over 100 visitors. Popular items here included a 45 cm diameter large pizza and rice noodles made with domestic chicken. In particular, the rice noodles are a signature menu item that can only be tasted at Traders among domestic warehouse-type marts. Even inside the T-Cafe, comments like "They sell rice noodles here too, which is great" were frequently heard.

At the Traders Suwon Hwaseo store, which had its grand opening on the 21st, the largest quantity of popular whiskey for a single store was secured and showcased. It was reported that a high-priced Louis XIII whiskey, costing over 4 million won, was sold that day. Photo by Seongpil Jo gatozz@

Whiskeys Priced at 4 Million Won Also 'Flow Freely'... Opening Event Scores High

Traders Hwaseo branch did not differ much in format compared to existing Traders stores. The design and products were similar to those seen at any Traders nationwide. The main difference was that the ratio of food to non-food items was increased from 6:4 to 7:3. An E-Mart official explained, "We stayed true to the warehouse mart concept," adding, "We increased the food area compared to existing Traders stores to align with Starfield."

The large crowd at Traders Hwaseo branch was largely due to differentiated opening events. The Hwaseo branch secured the largest quantity of popular whiskey for a single store and offered it at discounted prices. This was also why young men visited the store during weekday daytime hours. These male visitors picked up anywhere from one bottle to several bottles of whiskey. Some consumers opened their wallets without hesitation even for high-priced whiskey exceeding 4 million won (Louis XIII 700 ml).

While whiskey attracted male consumers, shopping baskets were the clear favorite among female consumers. Hwaseo branch is running a promotional event until the 3rd of next month, giving away Traders shopping baskets for purchases over 100,000 won. An E-Mart official said, "Since it is a warehouse mart, even buying a few items at Traders exceeds 100,000 won," adding, "The Traders shopping basket is sturdy and well-known among housewives, and this popularity seems to be reflected."

At Traders Suwon Hwaseo Branch, a promotional event is being held until the 3rd of next month, offering a Traders shopping bag as a gift for purchases over 100,000 won. Many consumers lined up in long queues to receive the shopping bags that day as well. Photo by Seongpil Jo gatozz@

Starfield's 'Key Tenant'... Traffic Congestion Is a Risk

E-Mart expects the store's enthusiasm to continue in conjunction with the official opening of Starfield Suwon next month. They also envision it establishing itself as a new shopping landmark in Suwon, competing for the retail throne in southern Gyeonggi alongside Starfield. An E-Mart official said, "Suwon has a large commercial area with more than 14 large marts and shopping malls," adding, "Traders is a key tenant of Starfield Suwon, and we considered synergy effects with Starfield, where one-stop shopping is possible, when operating the store."

However, traffic issues remain a challenge. The area around Starfield Suwon, including Traders Hwaseo branch, is notorious locally for heavy traffic congestion. It is said that every area has places that are always congested except during early morning hours, and in Suwon, this area falls into that category. Even on the day the reporter visited, during weekday daytime hours, traffic police were out managing the roads. Although traffic congestion may be partially alleviated when nearby underpass construction finishes by the end of the year, it is uncertain whether this problem will be completely resolved. Considering that most visitors to Traders use vehicles, concerns arise that this could be the biggest risk factor.