Emart24 opens 100th premium convenience store in Malaysia

Visitors shop inside Emart24’s 100th Malaysian store in Kota Damansara, Wednesday. Courtesy of Emart24

Retail giant Emart’s convenience store brand Emart24 has reached a milestone with the opening of its 100th store in Malaysia, demonstrating the success of its localization strategy in the Muslim-majority market since its debut in 2021.

The newly opened Emart24 is located in the commercial district of Kota Damansara, about 15 kilometers west of Kuala Lumpur. It opened Wednesday.

Emart24 said it tailored its strategy to Malaysia’s predominantly hot and humid climate, as well as the local popularity of Korean food and entertainment content. The newest store, spanning 175 square meters, features 32 indoor seats, allowing customers to enjoy their purchases comfortably without stepping outside.

The store has also collaborated with Pinkfong, a Korean animation company that owns the intellectual property of YouTube sensation Baby Shark (related videos have seen accumulated 150 billion views), to introduce meals and snacks packaged with the character design. The collaboration, commemorating the 100th store, was launched across the entire Emart24 chain in Malaysia.

The company is currently operating in 11 major states across the country, including Selangor, Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.

Emart24 CEO Choi Jin-il, right, poses with Emart24 Holdings CEO Vuitton Pang in front of Emart24's 100th store in Malaysia, Wednesday. Courtesy of Emart24

Emart24 has implemented its latest technologies applicable to convenience store operations into the new store. In collaboration with Korean information and communication technology company SOLUM, the store introduced digital signage to display discount events and product information. The feature also allows electronic price indicators to show accurate prices and promptly apply event prices.

Emart24 said Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp., a state-run food distribution operator, has launched a promotion on Korean foods available at all Emart24 stores in Malaysia through this month. The agency, according to the company, has consistently provided support for expanding the company’s business in nonmajor cities in Malaysia.

Emart24 stores in Malaysia are all directly run without franchisees by Malaysian master franchise company Emart24 Holdings.

Twelve Emart24 stores in the country currently sell halal-certified foods. The company said it plans to expand the certification to further stores in the country, where 70 percent of the population are Muslim.

“Emart24 has established itself as a popular convenience store brand in Malaysia by effectively promoting K-food, K-tech and K-content. In addition to Malaysia and Cambodia, we plan to expand to other countries to become a truly global convenience store brand,” Emart 24 CEO Choi Jin-il said.

The company is targeting its 130th store later this year and hopes to open more than 200 by 2026.