[Edaily Reporter Han Jeon-jin ] “I was a bit surprised to see an air fryer for 10,000 won. It was so cheap that I wondered if it would actually work, but since it’s a E-MART Co., Ltd.(139480) product, I figured I might as well give it a try at this price. I go to Daiso often, but I’ve never seen home appliances like this there.”

On the morning of the 22nd, on the 6th floor of the E-MART Co., Ltd. Eunpyeong branch in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. Ms. A, a housewife in her 50s from Eungam-dong, whom we met at “Wow Shop”—which officially opened that day—made these remarks in front of the “10,000-won Limited Special Offer” display. The display, marked with a yellow ribbon, was stacked with boxes of 3.5-liter air fryers, Tefal electric kettles, and camping ceiling fan lanterns. A store employee said, “The products were originally stacked as high as I am, but a significant number sold out within just one hour of opening.” Indeed, customers carrying boxes of air fryers, electric kettles, and other items were lined up in front of the self-checkout counters.

10,000 won

◇“10,000-won Appliances” Not Found at Daiso… Limited-Time Sales Like Half-Price Chicken

E-MART Co., Ltd. has moved to fill the gap left by Daiso in the “10,000-won range.” Wow Shop is an ultra-low-price specialty store that sells household goods at fixed prices ranging from 1,000 won to 10,000 won. During its pilot operation last December, the store focused on items priced at 5,000 won or less, but with the launch of full-scale operations, it has added a large number of new 10,000-won items. Since Daiso sticks to six price tiers ranging from 500 won to 5,000 won, it is relatively difficult for them to carry higher-priced home appliances. E-MART Co., Ltd. has targeted this exact price range with small appliances such as air fryers, coffee makers, and single-person electric blankets.

The 10,000-won items served as an effective “bait,” much like the “half-price chicken” promotions at large supermarkets. The strategy involves offering steep discounts while limiting the quantity available. On this day, only 50 air fryers were available, and customers were limited to purchasing just one 10,000-won item per person, regardless of the product category. For example, if a customer bought an air fryer, they could not purchase an electric kettle, ceiling fan, or lantern as additional items. E-MART Co., Ltd. has prepared about 100 types of 10,000-won items, combining home appliances and household goods, and plans to roll them out sequentially on the shelves by category and quantity.

Walking past the special-price displays and further into the store, the aisles were packed with household goods priced between 1,000 and 5,000 won. The selection was diverse, ranging from cosmetics, character stationery, and pet supplies to 1,000-won vitamins and cosmetics displayed on separate shelves. Happy Call frying pans were priced at 5,000 won, while Lock&Lock food storage containers started at 2,000 won. E-MART Co., Ltd. has newly developed over 12,000 items and will showcase 7,000 to 8,000 of them at each store. Sixty percent of all newly developed products are priced at 2,000 won or less. The store, which initially focused on simple sundries, has transformed into an ultra-low-price specialty store covering all aspects of daily life.

◇ Must break the perception that “ultra-low prices = Daiso”… Overlapping product lines with the main store also pose a challenge

Behind Wow Shop’s bold move lies Daiso’s dominance. Last year, Daiso’s sales reached 4.5363 trillion won, a 14.3% increase from the previous year, and it posted an operating profit of 442.4 billion won. By expanding its product range from household goods to cosmetics, fashion, and health supplements, Daiso has captured the demand for ultra-low-price items. While large supermarkets focused on fresh foods, demand for household goods shifted to specialty stores like Daiso. To enhance its competitiveness in non-food categories, E-MART Co., Ltd. plans to increase the number of dedicated Wow Shop locations to five by the end of the year and establish “Wow Shop Zones” within E-MART Co., Ltd. and E-MART Everyday stores.

However, there are no shortage of challenges. With the perception that “Daiso is the place for ultra-low-priced daily necessities” firmly entrenched, the “Wow Shop” name is still unfamiliar to many. Consistently delivering quality befitting the E-MART Co., Ltd. brand is also a key challenge. If customers are disappointed by the quality despite the low prices, trust in the E-MART Co., Ltd. brand itself could be shaken. The volume of 10,000-won special-price items released will also be crucial. If sales are limited to just a few dozen items per day, the effect of drawing in customers is unlikely to last long.

There are also concerns about internal cannibalization within the supermarket. The tissues, kitchenware, and storage items sold at Wow Shop overlap significantly with products in E-MART Co., Ltd.’s main stores. There is also overlap in certain product categories and price ranges with its private label (PB), Nobland International Inc. If customers simply opt for Wow Shop’s low-priced items instead of existing products from E-MART Co., Ltd., the overall effect on sales growth may be limited. Just as E-MART Co., Ltd. has brought Daiso into multiple stores to attract customers, there is a possibility that ultra-low-price stores under the same roof could end up splitting the customer base.

A retail industry official stated, “A super-discount store cannot succeed simply by lowering prices; it must be backed by strong inventory turnover, effective inventory management, and stable supply capabilities.” The official added, “The success or failure of Wow Shop’s expansion will hinge on whether E-MART Co., Ltd. can leverage its existing distribution network and purchasing power to consistently supply differentiated products and generate new demand and sales beyond simply shifting purchases from its existing customer base.”