[Edaily Han Jeon-jin Reporter Kim Ji-woo] “I’ve lived in Gangseo-gu for 30 years. Homeplus can’t go out of business, can it? There’s nowhere else to shop… I have to buy at least one more pack of squid.”

At 10 a.m. on the 7th, at the seafood section of the ENPLUS Gangseo branch in Seoul, a woman in her 70s, picking up a pack of refrigerated squid with her deeply wrinkled hands, told an employee who was restocking the shelves, “Stay strong,” before adding one more pack to her shopping cart. “After Homeplus closed, I had to go all the way to the Nonghyup store to shop,” she said. “It was hard to even go outside during the heatwave, but I heard they were reopening today, so I came first thing this morning.” Homeplus, which reopened after 25 days, was filled with such gestures of support from nearby regular customers.

Homeplus, having caught its breath after narrowly avoiding liquidation, began

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nationwide that day. This comes 25 days after it suspended operations on the 13th of last month due to financial difficulties. Homeplus was able to reopen its stores after the Seoul Bankruptcy Court extended the reorganization proceedings until the 4th of next month and approved a 200 billion won emergency operating loan (DIP) from Meritz Financial Group. Homeplus will complete operational checks by the 12th and officially reopen on the 13th.

The soft opening is the final preparation stage to test systems and address any shortcomings before the official reopening. While the store wasn’t exactly bustling, most of the customers were regulars—housewives and elderly residents—who had been shopping at the Gangseo branch all along. A housewife in her 40s who came shopping with her child said, “I already knew there wouldn’t be much stock,” adding, “I figured items like eggs would be available, and as a local resident, I felt I should support the store, so I bought some eggs and a whole watermelon.” She continued, “When it closed last time, the neighborhood felt completely empty,” and added, “I felt I had to come at least once on opening day.”

Signs of preparations to return to normal operations were evident throughout the store. Most of the items displayed on the empty shelves were from the store’s private label (PB), “Simplus.” The produce section showed only the display racks instead of fruit, and the refrigerated section for tofu and bean sprouts was filled only in the bottom shelf. In the side dishes and instant rice aisle, only a sign reading “Preparing for stock arrival” was posted. Employees worked nonstop to stock the shelves. When customers asked about missing items, they apologized, saying, “Please wait a moment; more will be arriving soon.” When asked for their thoughts on the reopening, one employee replied briefly, “I hope things go well from now on.”

According to Homeplus, as of that day, the merchandise restocking rate was approximately 30%, and the company plans to gradually restock most items by the 13th. The tenants on the first floor are also eagerly awaiting the store’s return to normal operations. One store owner, who has been running a beauty brand store for 10 years, said, “We continued to operate even during the closure, but it wasn’t easy because the number of customers dropped significantly,” adding, “We expect more customers to visit on weekends once news of the soft opening spreads.” However, they also noted, “We can’t completely let our guard down yet, as the restructuring process is still ongoing.”

Supplies from food companies and other vendors are also gradually resuming. CJ CheilJedang Corp(097950)has begun supplying products such as Hetaeban rice and dumplings, and Daesang(001680)has also started delivering items requested by Homeplus. Seoul Milk, Ottogi(007310), #LotteChilsungBeverage, NamyangDairyProducts(003920), and others are currently negotiating the terms for resuming supplies. Nongshim(004370)has agreed to supply goods on the condition of advance payment. However, as many companies face issues such as unpaid invoices, it is expected to take some time before supplies are fully restored.

Politicians are appealing to the public to help restore normal operations at Homeplus. The Euljiro Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea held a joint press conference with the Supermarket Industry Labor Union at the National Assembly today, urging the public, “Please help protect 100,000 jobs and our local economies by doing your grocery shopping.” Furthermore, the Euljiro Committee emphasized that “restoring normal operations is not complete just because the store lights are back on,” urging the government and the National Assembly to continue providing support and oversight.

Homeplus also explained that day, “Visits to our membership app, which had dropped significantly following the temporary closure, surpassed 100,000 after we announced the reopening schedule, returning to last year’s levels,” adding that this is “an encouraging sign that raises expectations for a return to normal operations.” The company further stated, “We will complete inspections and improvements by the 12th and have all merchandise fully stocked by the 13th,” and pledged, “We will restore normal operations as soon as possible to successfully conclude the restructuring process.”