[Report] Lotte Mart Guri Branch Reopens After 4 Years... Packed Crowds on Opening Day

Second Grand Grocery Store After Eunpyeong Branch
First Launch of Ultra-Low-Priced Cosmetics... Expansion Planned for All Stores
Kang Sunghyun, CEO of Lotte Mart: "Key 'Zeta' Hub Store in Northeastern Gyeonggi"

"There was no supermarket, so I had to shop at the market nearby. Now, with affordable prices and a wide variety of food, I am very satisfied."

In front of Lotte Mart Grand Grocery Guri branch. It is crowded with consumers waiting to enter. Photo by Minji Lee.

At 10:10 a.m. on June 26, in front of the Grand Grocery Guri branch in Guri, Gyeonggi Province. Despite the hot and humid weather, the Grand Grocery Guri branch was packed with crowds waiting to enter. News that Lotte Mart was returning to Guri for the first time in about four years since its closure in March 2021 brought people flocking to the store from early in the morning. Even before opening, there were around 1,000 people waiting in line.

In front of the checkout counters, the line was so long that it wrapped around the entire store. A customer in his 60s, who came from Namyangju, said, "I used to live in this area, and it was inconvenient because there was no large supermarket," adding, "I came because I heard it was reopening, and I think shopping will be much more convenient from now on."

Consumers waiting to pay. Long lines stretch between the stores. Photo by Minji Lee.

The Guri branch is the second new store Lotte Mart has opened this year. It covers a total area of 2,200 pyeong (7,273 square meters), with 1,100 pyeong (3,636 square meters) on each of the first and second floors. The first floor houses the Grand Grocery store, introduced for the second time after the Eunpyeong branch. The Grand Grocery store is a specialty store focused on food, aiming to solve consumers' food-related concerns.

Lim Donghun, manager of the Guri branch, said, "The area around Guri consists mainly of apartment complexes where people in their 30s and 40s live, so we believed that by strengthening our food offerings, we could meet the demand for home-cooked meals." He added, "We also see potential to expand our business area beyond Guri, our primary market, to Dasan New Town."

Tongkeun Chicken sold out all limited quantities (200 chickens) in less than an hour after the store opened. Photo by Minji Lee.

The most eye-catching spot in the Grand Grocery store on the first floor that day was the 'Long Deli (Ready-to-Eat) Road' located to the left of the entrance. The 30-meter-long display was neatly filled with ready-to-eat foods such as gimbap, sushi, and salads. The Deli Road also featured 'World Buffet,' where single servings of international cuisine are packaged for buffet-style enjoyment, 'Health Pleasure' for healthy foods, and the directly operated bakery 'Pungmiso.' Due to the crowds from the opening hour, many shelves were already empty. The 'Tongkeun Chicken,' which was offered at a limited discount of 200 pieces, sold out quickly, leaving some customers disappointed.

Lotte Mart has introduced an ultra-low-price, cost-effective cosmetics zone. Under the slogan "Smart Beauty Choice," they plan to expand the ultra-low-price, cost-effective cosmetics to all stores. Photo by Minji Lee.

In response to the trend of people cooking less at home, Lotte Mart has strengthened its refrigerated and frozen food offerings. The company expanded its 'Daily Meal Solution,' a store specializing in frozen ready-made meals, and introduced frozen versions of its private brand (PB) 'Yorihada' products, including world buffet and soup dishes. The range of Japanese frozen foods and dessert products was also increased.

In the non-food section, Lotte Mart introduced the 'Smart Beauty Choice' zone for the first time. This is the first ultra-low-priced cosmetics area launched by Lotte Mart, where products are available at prices ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 won. Eight types of basic cosmetics from the Polish brand Ziaja and five exclusive products from 'Mini Face by Cladbell' for Lotte Mart are available. Yang Wooseok, head of the personal care team, said, "Ziaja is being introduced by Lotte Mart for the first time," adding, "We plan to expand low-priced cosmetics to all stores in the future and broaden our cosmetics lineup by introducing second brands of existing brands."

Second-floor Toys "R" Us store view. Photo by Minji Lee.

The second floor is designed as a mall space where parents and children can enjoy time together. It features the experiential play area 'Toys "R" Us,' the multi-purpose cultural space 'Nolmenseoga,' and the art and play experience area for infants and toddlers 'Palette Pang.' In particular, Toys "R" Us houses shop-in-shop sections such as the 'Pororo and Tayo Specialty Zone,' the 'Catch! Teenieping Brand Shop,' and the 'Bandai Store.' In addition, the floor is home to the sushi-focused premium buffet restaurant 'Gourmet Square' and the clothing brand 'Topten Kids.'

Going forward, Lotte Mart plans to actively utilize the Guri branch as a key hub for the online grocery business 'Zeta' in the northeastern Gyeonggi region. Kang Sunghyun, CEO of Lotte Mart and Super, said, "The Guri branch will serve as the in-store picking hub for the northeastern Gyeonggi area in the Zeta business," adding, "It will also serve as a benchmark to preview what kinds of products will be available ahead of the opening of the automated logistics center (CFC) in Busan next year." The Zeta business is scheduled to start full-scale operations on July 1. The company plans to expand its service area beyond Guri and surrounding regions to Jungnang-gu in Seoul. Next month, deliveries will begin with nine vehicles, expanding to 14 by the end of the year.