[Edaily Reporter PARK JI-AE ] The strategy of “strengthening core business competitiveness,” which Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin has emphasized since the beginning of the year, has paid off. Thanks to balanced growth across its core businesses—including discount stores and Traders—E-Mart surpassed 5 trillion won in quarterly standalone total sales for the first time in its history in the third quarter of this year.

Analysts attribute this success to innovations that enhanced price competitiveness and differentiated product offerings, while transforming stores into spaces that blend shopping and relaxation—a move that has drawn customers back into the stores. The structural reforms, which Chairman Jeong personally spearheaded by visiting stores firsthand, have effectively achieved two goals at once: external growth and improved profitability.

E-Mart announced on the 11th that its total revenue on a standalone basis for the third quarter of this year reached 5.104 trillion won, an 11.1% increase compared to the same period last year. This marks the first time quarterly total revenue has exceeded 5 trillion won. Operating profit for the period rose 46.3% to 166 billion won.

What stands out in these results is that not only did sales and profits rise, but customer numbers also increased. In the third quarter, the number of visitors rose year-over-year by 5.3% at E-Mart discount stores, 8.0% at Traders, and 11.5% at Everyday. An E-Mart official stated, “Visitor numbers increased across all major business segments despite the weakening ability of brick-and-mortar retailers to attract customers due to the spread of online shopping.”

Behind this improvement in performance lies the innovation in pricing, products, and space that Chairman Jeong has consistently emphasized. In his New Year’s address this year, Chairman Jeong called for a “paradigm shift” to fundamentally transform the competitiveness of existing businesses, and he has accelerated his on-site management efforts since the beginning of the year.

Following his first on-site management visit of the year to the Starfield Market Jukjeon branch on January 6, he visited the Starfield Village Unjeong branch on the 16th of the same month and the Traders Incheon Guwol branch on February 9. By personally inspecting store operations and product competitiveness, he reinforced innovations in pricing, products, and space that customers can tangibly experience.

The core of this pricing innovation lies in securing cost competitiveness through consolidated purchasing. E-Mart has been pursuing a strategy of lowering costs by leveraging the purchasing power of its discount stores, Traders, and Everyday, and reflecting these savings in retail prices. The large-scale discount event “Goraeit Festa” also played a role in increasing customer traffic. In the third quarter of this year, sales from the Goraeit event rose 29.2% year-over-year, while the number of visitors increased by 14.7%. This strategy, which highlighted the price competitiveness of large supermarkets amid rising inflation and heightened consumer price sensitivity, is seen as having paid off.

Strengthened product competitiveness also supported the improvement in performance. E-Mart responded to consumer demand for value by expanding its ultra-low-price product lines and strengthening its private label (PL) offerings. Sales of “5K Price,” a representative ultra-low-price PL line, more than doubled in the third quarter compared to the same period last year.

The strategy of transforming stores from simple retail spaces into destinations where customers linger also yielded results. A prime example is “Starfield Market.” The Gyeongsan store, which was renovated into a space combining shopping, relaxation, and food and beverage options, saw sales rise 18.4% and visitor numbers increase 8.4% following the renovation. The Dongtan store also saw sales rise 11.4% and visitor numbers increase 7.7%. This is seen as the result of enhancing the unique offline experiences—which are difficult to replicate online—to attract customers to visit the stores.

In particular, Traders showed the most notable growth in this third-quarter performance. Traders’ total sales for the third quarter reached 1.1668 trillion won, a 16.6% increase compared to the same period last year. Operating profit rose 40.5% to 55.2 billion won. Both sales and operating profit marked record highs for any quarter. Traders, which had already shown growth in the second quarter with sales of 992.7 billion won and operating profit of 34.6 billion won, further expanded its performance improvement in the third quarter. Third-quarter sales of Traders’ private label “T Standard” rose 16.6% year-over-year, while sales at “T Café,” the in-store dining area, also increased by 15.5%.

An E-Mart official explained, “Traders’ strong performance is the result of combining its competitive edge as a warehouse-style discount store—focused on large quantities and value for money—with exclusive products and food offerings,” adding, “Differentiated products and price competitiveness have attracted more customers, leading to an 8.0% increase in the number of visitors.”

Everyday also grew in tandem. Total third-quarter sales reached 399.5 billion won, a 7.7% increase year-over-year, while operating profit rose 11.1% to 11.0 billion won. Discount promotions leveraging consolidated purchasing and the expansion of quick commerce contributed to this growth.

An E-Mart official stated, “The competitiveness in our core business, which we have steadily built up, has led to an expansion of our customer base, driving both revenue growth and improved profitability,” adding, “Going forward, we will continue to innovate in retail while expanding the benefits customers can tangibly experience, thereby further solidifying our market leadership.”