Emart to Open Sixth Store in Mongolia, "Doubling Korean Product Offerings"

Small-Format Store of 770 Pyeong Opens in Eastern Ulaanbaatar
Proportion of Korean Products Doubled Amid K-Culture Boom

Emart is set to open its sixth store in Mongolia, the 'Emart Tengger Branch,' in the key commercial district of eastern Ulaanbaatar.

Exterior of Mongolia Store No. 6, 'Emart Tengger Branch'.

The Emart Tengger Branch will open on December 18 on the first floor of the Dragon Tengger Bus Terminal, the largest transportation hub in the eastern region and an emerging consumer zone, occupying a space of 2,545 square meters (770 pyeong).

This marks an expansion of Emart’s small-format store strategy targeting transportation hubs, following the launch of its fifth store at the Dragon Terminal in western Ulaanbaatar last year. The Dragon Tengger Bus Terminal serves as a transportation infrastructure connecting more than 10 cities in eastern Mongolia, which is expected to ensure a stable influx of local customers and attract new consumer segments.

The most notable feature of this sixth store is that the proportion of Korean products has been increased by up to two times compared to existing Emart stores in Mongolia.

First, the highly popular 'No Brand' has been set up as a 120-square-meter (36 pyeong) shop-in-shop prominently located at the entrance, offering around 800 popular products including snacks and household goods.

In response to demand for K-beauty, a beauty-specialized zone has also been created. Emart has broadened the selection by showcasing approximately 470 products from popular Korean beauty brands, including 'Glow:Up by Beyond,' a skincare brand developed in collaboration with LG Household & Health Care, as well as 'Innisfree' and 'Tony Moly.'

The dining zone, comprised of deli and bakery sections, has been significantly expanded to 40 meters. It offers a diverse menu of about 50 items, featuring K-food such as gimbap, jokbal, and fried chicken, as well as Mongolian local dishes like khushuur and tsuivan.

This year, the rapid spread of K-culture in Mongolia has led to increased demand for Korean products in food, beauty, and household goods. From January to November this year, sales of Korean brands at Emart stores in Mongolia grew by more than 15% compared to the same period last year, continuing their upward trend.

Since 2023, Emart has been operating a food processing plant in Ulaanbaatar, significantly improving the taste and quality of its deli products. By producing based on standardized recipes, Emart has enhanced both flavor and freshness, while also increasing investment in developing localized menu items.

For example, 'Korean-style marinated bulgogi,' developed to suit Mongolian tastes, has become a steady seller, with over 30 tons sold this year. Other locally customized deli products, such as 520,000 gimbap rolls, 13 tons of jokbal, and 800,000 large pizzas, have also achieved strong sales.

In addition, Emart continues to expand pop-up stores selling Korean agricultural products such as strawberries and tangerines through collaborations with local governments in Gangwon Province, North Gyeongsang Province, and Jeju Province, further promoting the spread of Korean food.

Emart entered the Mongolian market in earnest in 2016 by signing a franchise agreement with the Mongolian company Altai Group. The company has maintained double-digit growth every year, and over the past nine years, its sales have increased 14-fold, establishing itself as a leading retail brand in Mongolia.

Next year, Emart plans to open additional stores in new commercial districts and introduce new formats, including No Brand specialty stores and No Brand zones in collaboration with local shops, to further expand its market presence.

Emart is also accelerating its expansion into emerging markets such as Vietnam and Laos. Kang Youngseok, Head of Overseas Business, stated, "We expect the Emart Tengger Branch, with its strategic location as a transportation hub, to expand the Korean-style shopping experience to a diverse range of Mongolian customers. We will continue to grow our overseas business through differentiated competitiveness in localized product development, K-food, K-beauty, and No Brand."