[Edaily Reporter KYUNG GYEYOUNG ] Despite a recovery in its core business, E-MART Co., Ltd. posted an operating loss in the second quarter, dragged down by its subsidiaries Starbucks (SCK Company), SG CO., LTD., and E-Mart 24.

E-MART Co., Ltd.(139480)The company announced on the 13th that it posted a consolidated operating loss of 43 billion won in the second quarter, marking a shift to a loss compared to the same period last year. Preliminary figures for the same period show revenue decreased by 1.8% to 6.915 trillion won, while net loss totaled 136.8 billion won, also shifting to a loss.

However, on a separate basis—including only E-MART Co., Ltd.’s hypermarkets, Traders, and Everyday—revenue and operating profit stood at 4.4428 trillion won and 25.6 billion won, respectively, representing increases of 3.5% and 64.1% compared to the second quarter of last year. By continuing customer-centric innovations in pricing, products, and store layout to strengthen core business competitiveness, the company achieved both revenue growth and improved profitability in the second quarter, following the first quarter.

Traders posted total revenue of 992.7 billion won and operating profit of 34.6 billion won, up 10.3% and 12.7%, respectively, from the second quarter of last year. This is seen as a result of the company establishing itself as a warehouse-style discount store by combining a product lineup centered on bulk items with exclusive Traders products, private label (PB) items, and specialized food offerings.

In particular, sales at Traders’ “T Standard” and “T Café” increased by 24.2% and 13.9%, respectively, compared to the second quarter of last year. The number of customers visiting Traders in the second quarter also rose by 3.7% year-over-year. Traders plans to open new stores within the year and strengthen the competitiveness of its products and content.

As for Everyday, total sales rose 7.2% from the second quarter of last year to 389.1 billion won, while operating profit increased 51.7% over the same period to 8.1 billion won. This was driven by efforts to strengthen product competitiveness through consolidated purchasing, expand the new franchise model, and enhance convenience through online commerce and local delivery.

E-MART Co., Ltd. posted an operating loss of 27.1 billion won due to property tax expenses, but total sales rose 0.8% year-over-year to 2.792 trillion won. Its flagship event, “Gorae-it Festa,” garnered strong customer response, with sales and customer numbers increasing by 8.8% and 4.1%, respectively. The company also diversified its product portfolio by strengthening its ultra-low-price product lines and expanding its private label (PB) offerings into new categories.

The Ilsan, Dongtan, and Gyeongsan stores—which expanded stay-oriented content and strengthened anchor tenants tailored to the characteristics of each commercial district—achieved significant results in spatial innovation, with sales and customer visits increasing by an average of 79.5% and 42.4%, respectively. The proportion of customers staying for three hours or longer rose to an average of 90.8% across these three stores.

By subsidiary, Chosun Hotel & Resort achieved net sales of 188.2 billion won and an operating profit of 10.1 billion won. These figures represent increases of 0.3% and 41.1%, respectively, compared to the second quarter of last year. This was driven by higher occupancy rates due to an increase in tourists, coupled with an improvement in average revenue per guest.

SCK Company, which operates Starbucks, recorded net sales of 747.3 billion won—a 6.1% decrease from the same period last year—and posted an operating loss of 18.4 billion won, shifting to a deficit. This was due to disruptions in sales, such as the decision not to hold the June “Summer Frequent Flyer” event in the wake of the “May 18 Tank Day” marketing controversy.

The convenience store chain E-Mart 24 posted net sales of 532.5 billion won, a 0.1% increase from the same period last year, but continued to post a loss with an operating loss of 2.3 billion won. However, the loss narrowed as the company implemented store efficiency measures.

E-MART Co., Ltd. plans to enhance the competitiveness of its core business and expand its market dominance in the second half of the year. While strengthening key product and private label (PL) strategies by channel, the company will continue to broaden customer touchpoints through the renovation of Starfield Markets, new store openings, and the expansion of last-mile services. It will also secure new growth drivers by installing new signage in Traders stores to fully launch its integrated online-offline RMN business and by expanding the number of WOW Shop locations.

As for subsidiaries, SCK Company plans to focus on stabilizing its business by restoring brand trust. It will strive to recover its brand image by reestablishing pre-management processes and expanding corporate social responsibility initiatives. The company intends to boost sales and improve profitability through marketing efforts that broaden customer touchpoints and differentiated product strategies tailored to changing demand.

In the online sector, SSG CO., LTD. will focus on strengthening its grocery competitiveness and restoring profitability. The company plans to enhance product competitiveness by linking with offline stores and refine membership-based customer benefits. At the same time, it will improve delivery efficiency and strengthen last-mile capabilities by expanding the processing capacity of its PP centers and the number of locations offering fast delivery.

An E-MART Co., Ltd. official stated, “In the second half of the year, we will continue to innovate in pricing, products, and store layout to further strengthen our core business competitiveness and market dominance, while actively identifying new business opportunities to build an even more solid foundation for mid- to long-term growth.”