[New Year's Message] Jung Yong-jin: "'Top Customer' is the Core Fuel for Business Growth... Accelerating Innovation"

You Must Relentlessly Reflect on and Execute Your Main Job
to Create a Space-Time Sought by the 'No.1 Customer'

Jung Yong-jin, Chairman of Shinsegae Group, emphasized on the 2nd that "Our core business is to truly understand the number one customers who always crave novelty, and the competitiveness lies in the number one customers knowing us," stressing the need to constantly change according to the 'number one customers.'

In his New Year's address, Chairman Jung said, "Although market conditions are poor due to high inflation and recession, companies must challenge and grow even in such times, and we must persistently contemplate and execute our core business."

2025 New Year's Message from Chung Yong-jin, Chairman of Shinsegae Group. Photo by Shinsegae Group.

Chairman Jung defined the number one customers as those to be feared yet always watched. The number one customers feel great satisfaction through experiences different from the past and willingly pay costs when companies present new value and innovation. He emphasized that if the core business is the 'growth engine that made today's Shinsegae Group,' then the number one customers are the key fuel of that growth engine.

Chairman Jung mentioned the challenges of Shinsegae Department Store, E-Mart, Starfield, and Traders, evaluating that their innovations have elevated the quality of customers' lives. He said, "Customers who have experienced a new world through Shinsegae have become trend leaders and never return to the past," and stressed, "We must respond first to the thirst of the number one customers and persistently execute to showcase Shinsegae's inherent DNA."

Chairman Jung pointed out that to manifest competitiveness in the core business, the way of working must be reconsidered. He said, "Avoidance of responsibility and leniency are ailments that hinder organizational development," and added, "We must reflect on whether we have become arrogant by considering ourselves number one."

He also urged to fear customers but not fear change. When fearing change, one chooses oneself over customers and avoidance over challenge. Chairman Jung said, "There is no reason to hold back now," and ordered, "Read fiercely where the number one customers are heading in the organization and business, and execute accordingly."

Finally, Chairman Jung said, "Let the Shinsegae brand become a source of pride for customers," and "Let us spend a year worthy of the 'Shinsegae-ness' we have cultivated."