[Edaily Reporter KYUNG GYEYOUNG ] E-MART Co., Ltd., which has been working to strengthen its core business competitiveness, not only saw its revenue grow in the second quarter following the first quarter but also continued its trend of improved profitability. However, SCK Company, which operates Starbucks, slipped into the red due to the fallout from its “May 18 Tank Day” marketing campaign, dragging down E-MART Co., Ltd.’s consolidated earnings.

E-MART Co., Ltd.(139480)E-Mart announced on the 13th that it recorded standalone revenue of 4.4428 trillion won and operating profit of 25.6 billion won in the second quarter. These figures represent increases of 3.6% and 64.1%, respectively, compared to the second quarter of last year.

On a consolidated basis, including subsidiaries, revenue for the same period fell 1.8% to 6.195 trillion won, and the company posted an operating loss of 43 billion won, marking a shift into the red. A major factor was the operating loss of 18.4 billion won posted by SCK Company, which had previously been a key profit driver. Controversy surrounding the “May 18 Tank Day” event disrupted operations—including the cancellation of the June “Summer Frequent” promotion—and net sales fell 6.1% year-over-year to 747.3 billion won.

SSG.com, the e-commerce arm, also saw net sales decline by 11.4% year-over-year to 310.5 billion won and continued to post a loss, with an operating loss of 29.5 billion won. During the same period, the convenience store chain E-MART 24 recorded net sales of 532.5 billion won, a 0.1% increase, with an operating loss of 2.3 billion won. The loss narrowed as the company implemented store efficiency measures.

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.

Looking solely at E-MART Co., Ltd.’s core business, both revenue and profitability improved. This was largely due to the company’s continued customer-centric innovations in pricing, products, and store layout.

In particular, the warehouse-style discount store Traders led the improvement in performance. Total sales and operating profit rose 10.3% and 12.7%, respectively, to 992.7 billion won and 34.6 billion won. By attracting customers with exclusive products, private label (PB) items, and specialized food offerings, the number of store visitors also increased by 3.7%. Traders plans to open new locations within the year and strengthen the competitiveness of its products and content.

Everyday also saw its total sales and operating profit rise by 7.2% and 51.7% year-over-year, respectively, to 389.1 billion won and 8.1 billion won. This was driven by efforts to strengthen product competitiveness through consolidated purchasing, as well as by enhancing convenience through the expansion of new franchise models, online commerce, and local delivery services.

E-MART Co., Ltd. also saw its total sales rise by 0.8% year-over-year to 2.792 trillion won. Its flagship event, “Gorae-it Festa,” garnered a positive 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. However, due to the inclusion of property tax in the second quarter, it posted an operating loss of 27.1 billion won (compared to a loss of 32.8 billion won in the same period last year).

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 visitor numbers 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.

E-MART Co., Ltd. plans to expand its customer touchpoints by strengthening its strategies for key products and private label (PL) items across each channel, while also renovating Starfield Markets, opening new locations, and expanding last-mile services.

In addition, E-MART Co., Ltd. is set to fully launch its Retail Media Network (RMN) business, which has emerged as a new growth driver in the retail industry. The company plans to expand its digital signage rollout to 10 stores by the end of the year, following its implementation at Traders Hanam and E-MART Co., Ltd. Ilsan, Wolgye, and Bucheon stores. The launch of WOW Shop—which features only products priced at 5,000 won or less—will be expanded to all large-format supermarkets and Everyday stores, as well as select Nobland International Inc. locations.

SCK Company, which dragged down this quarter’s earnings, will focus on restoring brand trust by overhauling its pre-management processes and expanding corporate social responsibility initiatives. It will also work to improve profitability through marketing efforts to expand customer touchpoints and differentiated product strategies. SSG.com aims to restore profitability by strengthening its grocery competitiveness and enhancing its last-mile delivery capabilities in line with the “Online E-MART Co., Ltd.” strategy.

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 seeking new business opportunities to build an even more solid foundation for mid- to long-term growth.”