Emart Dongtan Branch Reopens After 18 Years with Major Renovation
Targeting Young Family Customers with Premium Shabu-Shabu Buffet
First Test of Pet-Friendly Access
Plan to Expand to All Starfield Market Locations
Emart Dongtan Branch has undergone a renovation (remodeling) for the first time in 18 years and will reopen as the third 'Starfield Market' location on July 31.
According to Emart on July 30, the Starfield Market Dongtan Branch developed its renovation strategy by analyzing the characteristics of its existing customer base. The analysis showed that core customers in their 30s and 40s accounted for about 61% of the Dongtan Branch's clientele, indicating a predominantly younger customer base. This figure is 12 percentage points higher than the overall average for Emart stores (49%), making it a key feature of the Dongtan commercial district.
Accordingly, the store was redesigned to target the demand for experiential shopping malls, focusing on a three-floor retail area of 18,446 square meters (approximately 5,580 pyeong), so that families in their 30s and 40s can spend their leisure time there.
The renewed Dongtan Branch has consolidated the previously three-floor Emart store into a single first-floor space, while the second and third floors now feature Starfield Market's signature specialty zones and popular brands. The first-floor Emart sales area has been reduced by about 26%, from 10,247 square meters (about 3,100 pyeong) to 7,537 square meters (about 2,280 pyeong). Instead, specialized stores for key categories such as groceries, Electromart, Toy Kingdom, and Olive Young have been arranged around the grocery shopping area to enhance shopping convenience. In addition, recognizing the growing popularity of buffets as value-for-money dining options amid high inflation, the store has introduced 'Roun Shabu Premium' for the first time in Korea.
The core area on the second floor centers around Starfield Market's signature 'Book Ground,' which is connected to Starbucks and four small-scale brands to create a relaxation space. The company explained that this layout was designed for optimal flow, allowing customers to walk directly from the second-floor parking lot.
On the third floor, a new 'Kids Ground' has been established, along with Daiso, F&B dining areas, a baby lounge, and kids' and women's fashion brands. Popular restaurants from Starfield Anseong, such as the Chinese restaurant 'Cheonhyang,' as well as Japanese restaurant 'Sato Gyukatsu' and 'Sammat General Snack Bar,' which are opening outside their flagship locations for the first time, can also be found here.
For the first time among Starfield Market locations, the Dongtan Branch allows customers to bring their pets. Dogs and cats under 5kg that have completed vaccinations are allowed in common areas and the second-floor Book Ground if they are transported in a covered pet stroller, kennel, or cage. Guide dogs are permitted in all areas. More than 70% of stores at the Dongtan Branch, including Daiso, Olive Young, and Modern House, allow customers to shop with their dogs.
An Emart representative stated, "In reviewing the opening of the third Starfield Market, we considered elements that could bring something new to Dongtan customers," adding, "We are test-operating a pet-friendly store, which is an image associated with Starfield." Based on the results of this test, the company plans to gradually implement this policy at other Starfield Market locations.
Starfield Market is a 'space innovation' model newly introduced by Emart last year. Its core concept is to provide customers with a community lounge featuring rest areas as the central space of the store. The first Starfield Market opened in August last year at the Jukjeon Branch, and the second location was renovated and reopened at the Kintex Branch in June this year. The first branch saw a 39% increase in sales over approximately 10 months after opening compared to before the renovation, and the second branch also recorded a 39% year-on-year sales increase in its first month.
Emart's Head of Development and Innovation, Wi Sooyeon, said, "The Jukjeon and Kintex branches have successfully established themselves in their local markets and are becoming a natural part of customers' daily lives," adding, "We will continue to evolve so that Starfield Market can offer experiences beyond shopping through its unique spaces and content."
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