[Edaily Reporter SHIN MIN JOON ] E-MART Co., Ltd.(139480)is accelerating its expansion into the Mongolian market by opening a series of mid-sized stores and Nobland International Inc. specialty stores. Building on the operational experience gained since entering the Mongolian market in 2016, E-MART Co., Ltd. is implementing a strategy to diversify its store formats to suit the characteristics of each commercial district.

E-MART Co., Ltd. will open its seventh store in Mongolia on the 29th of this month at the Ulan Gan Arena (UG Arena), a sports and cultural complex in Ulaanbaatar. In November, it will open its eighth store at the Ulaanbaatar Department Store, located in a key commercial district of Ulaanbaatar. The company also plans to expand its Nobland International Inc. specialty stores—which made their local debut this year—to seven locations by the end of the year.

The seventh store will be located on the first floor of the commercial complex within UG Arena, covering an area of approximately 3,272 square meters (990 pyeong). It is E-MART Co., Ltd. Mongolia’s third mid-sized store, following the second store, which opened in 2017, and the sixth store, which opened last year. E-MART Co., Ltd. is expanding its presence in key commercial districts by utilizing the mid-sized store model, which allows for faster site acquisition and shorter preparation times compared to large-scale stores.

UG Arena is a multi-purpose complex that hosts basketball and volleyball games, as well as concerts, performances, and exhibitions. With large apartment complexes and office buildings concentrated in the surrounding area, E-MART Co., Ltd. expects to capture demand from nearby residents, office workers, and visitors to the sports and cultural facilities.

Reflecting these market characteristics, E-MART Co., Ltd. has designed its seventh store as a family-friendly destination where customers can shop for groceries, dine out, and relax all in one place. With a focus on groceries, K-Food and Nobland International Inc. products are prominently displayed, and a separate Nobland International Inc. zone has been set up at the store entrance.

E-MART Co., Ltd. has also strengthened its product lineup targeting young people and office workers. The store features a meal kit zone to meet the demand for convenient meals, a large liquor section focused on beer and wine, and a specialty fruit section selling cut fruit and fresh-squeezed juices. E-MART Co., Ltd. has also expanded its selection of sports apparel and equipment for visitors to nearby sports facilities.

The store will feature leased retail spaces from Korean food and beverage brands—including coffee, tea, and bakery shops—as well as stores in the fashion, cosmetics, healthcare, and lifestyle services sectors. An open-concept rest area spanning approximately 25 pyeong will be located in the center of the store.

Marking its 10th anniversary in Mongolia, E-MART Co., Ltd. is strengthening its store expansion strategy, which ranges from large-scale stores to small- and medium-sized stores and specialty shops. To date, E-MART Co., Ltd. has operated a variety of store formats in the country, ranging from large-scale stores of approximately 4,100 pyeong to small- and medium-sized stores of approximately 330 pyeong.

Mongolia is an urban-concentrated market where 1.7 million people—nearly half of the total population of approximately 3.5 million—reside in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. E-MART Co., Ltd. explains that due to long winters and urban traffic congestion, there is high demand for one-stop shopping that combines grocery shopping, dining out, and leisure activities in a single location.

E-MART Co., Ltd. is also expanding its network of No Brand specialty stores. Following the consecutive openings of its first and second stores in Mongolia last July and October, the company plans to expand to seven stores by the end of the year to broaden its reach among local customers.

Kang Young-seok, Head of Overseas Business at E-MART Co., Ltd., said, “Based on the trust and expertise we’ve built up over the past 10 years in Mongolia, we are expanding our business scope to include everything from large-scale stores to small and medium-sized stores, as well as Nobland International Inc. specialty stores.” He added, “We will continue to introduce shopping spaces optimized for the lifestyles of local customers and the characteristics of each commercial district to strengthen our competitiveness in the Mongolian retail market.”