H Mart

What H Mart does

H Mart is America's largest Asian supermarket chain, operating 97+ physical retail stores across the United States alongside a nationwide e-commerce platform at hmart.com built on VTEX infrastructure. Founded in 1982 by Il Yeon Kwon in Woodside, Queens, New York, the company has scaled from a single storefront to a national specialty grocery chain recognized as #13 in the National Retail Federation's HOT 100 RETAILERS and listed in Supermarket News' Top 50 Small Chains and Independents. The core offering spans fresh produce, premium proteins (including direct-sourced seafood from Fulton Fish Market), Korean, Japanese, and Chinese specialty groceries, prepared foods, in-store food halls and eateries (operating for 30+ years), Korean beauty and skincare products, and a curated Korean/Asian brand portfolio built around flagship partnerships with entities such as Jeollanam-Do (provincial government), Dongwon, Probiotics Will, K-Seafood, K-Agriculture, and Ajinomoto.

Name

H Mart

Legal name

H Mart

Website

https://hmart.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

H Mart is America's largest Asian supermarket chain, operating 97+ physical stores nationwide plus e-commerce, serving Korean-American and broader Asian-American communities with authentic specialty groceries, prepared foods, beauty products, and direct-sourced fresh produce under flagship brand partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asian / Ethnic Grocery Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro primary industry

East Asian (Chinese/Japanese/Korean) Grocery Stores (CRAHAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online Specialty Grocery (Organic/Health/Ethnic/Gourmet) (CRAHAIAE)

Keywords

• Asian grocery retail
• Korean supermarket
• Specialty food market
• Online grocery delivery
• Food hall eatery

Headquarters

HQ city

Arcadia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Physical Retail Store Sales: Revenue generated from sales of groceries, Asian specialty foods, beauty products, and prepared foods across 97+ physical store locations throughout the United States.
2. E-commerce / Online Orders: Online sales through hmart.com with delivery options, including specialty categories like Smart Direct (non-food goods), Market+ (health/baby), and gift.hmart.com for sending food/gifts to Korea.
3. Food & OTC Benefit Card Processing: Acceptance of government and employer-funded benefit cards (SNAP, eWIC, Medicare/Medicaid OTC cards, Food & OTC benefit cards from Solutran S3, OTC Network, NationsBenefits) as a payment processing revenue mechanism at point-of-sale.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

H Mart operates the largest Asian supermarket chain in America, running 97+ physical stores and the hmart.com e-commerce platform that sell authentic Asian groceries, fresh produce, premium proteins, prepared foods, and Korean beauty products. Stores incorporate in-house food halls and eateries that have been a signature of the chain for over 30 years, with specialty storefronts including Smart Direct (non-food goods), Market+ (health/baby items), and gift.hmart.com for sending food gifts to Korea.

Product overview

H Mart is the largest Asian supermarket chain in America, operating both physical retail stores (97+ locations) and an e-commerce platform. The company offers a multi-format retail experience combining its core grocery business with specialty sub-products including Smart Direct (non-food merchandise), Market+ (health supplements marketplace), and Gift to Korea (international delivery). The business operates brand partnerships with Korean producers (Jeollanam-Do, Dongwon, K-Seafood, K-Agriculture, Probiotics Will) and supports customer loyalty through Smart Rewards. Physical stores feature innovative food halls with in-store eateries. The company accepts Food & OTC benefit cards and offers a mobile application for convenient shopping.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• H Mart Physical Retail Stores Chain of over 97 Asian supermarket stores across the United States offering fresh produce, premium proteins, Asian specialty groceries, prepared foods, and in-store food halls/eateries for household and general grocery shoppers.
• H Mart E-commerce Platform Online grocery platform at hmart.com enabling customers to browse, shop, and order Asian food products for delivery or in-store pickup. Built on VTEX e-commerce infrastructure with regional delivery options keyed to postal code.
• H Mart Mobile App iOS and Android mobile application for browsing products, viewing weekly ads, and shopping on mobile devices.
• Smart Direct Curated online selection of non-food items including household goods, kitchenware, baby products, and lifestyle merchandise, shipped directly from suppliers.
• Market+ Online storefront offering health supplements, organic products, baby care items, and specialty wellness goods from third-party brands.
• Gift to Korea International gift delivery service that allows customers to send Korean food products and gift sets to recipients in Korea.
• Smart Rewards Customer loyalty and savings card program offering deals, discounts, and reward points for frequent H Mart shoppers.
• Food & OTC Benefit Card Acceptance In-store payment service accepting Food & OTC benefit cards including Solutran S3, InComm Payments OTC Network, and NationsBenefits, enabling Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to purchase eligible nutritious foods, vitamins, supplements, and OTC health products. SNAP and eWIC are also accepted.

Quantifiable outcome

• Named #13 in National Retail Federation's HOT 100 RETAILERS — recognized as one of the fastest growing retailers in the US
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Solutran (S3 Food & OTC Benefit Card)coreOthersH Mart accepts Solutran S3 Food & OTC Benefit Cards funded by health plans including Medicare and Medicaid, as well as employers and local programs. Cards can be used in-store to purchase eligible nutritious foods, vitamins, supplements, and OTC health products.
• InComm Payments (OTC Network)coreOthersH Mart accepts OTC Network cards from InComm Payments, funded by major health plans. Cards are accepted in-store for eligible food and OTC products. These cards are funded by health plans and local programs including Medicare and Medicaid.
• NationsBenefitscoreOthersH Mart accepts NationsBenefits Food & OTC cards funded by health plans. NationsBenefits provides supplemental over-the-counter and grocery benefits to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, allowing eligible purchases of nutritious foods, vitamins, supplements, and OTC products at H Mart stores.
• Jeollanam-Do (Proud Sponsors)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJeollanam-Do, the province in South Korea known as 'The Kitchen of Korea', is a flagship sponsor on H Mart's Brand Pages. This regional government partnership promotes Jeollanam-Do agricultural and specialty food products including Cracker Coffee, Sundried Red Pepper Powder, and sweet rice puffs to American consumers through H Mart's retail platform.
• Probiotics Will (HY)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProbiotics Will, Korea's No.1 probiotics dairy drink brand, is prominently featured as a sponsored brand on H Mart's Brand Pages. Described as 'Korean Sales No. 1', the brand is distributed exclusively through H Mart stores in the US market.
• K-Seafood (K-Seafood Pavilion)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorK-Seafood is a sponsored brand pavilion on H Mart featuring Korean seafood products including premium roasted seaweed, frozen fish tofu, salted mackerel fillet, dried squid, and fish cake. Promoted as 'Freshness you can taste, quality you can trust!'.
• K-Agriculture / aT (Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorK-Agriculture partnership featuring premium Korean agricultural products including Korean pears, Shine Muscat grapes, and specialty produce. The aT (Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade) brand is promoted as 'Taste Korea's Finest Fruits'.
• DongwonflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDongwon is a flagship sponsored brand featuring tuna products, laver (roasted seaweed), topokki rice cakes, and other Korean pantry staples. Dongwon brand events are held at H Mart promoting products like Light Standard Tuna and Tuna with Hot Pepper Sauce.
• AjinomotocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAjinomoto products are featured as a sponsored brand on H Mart's Brand Pages, including Hondashi soup stock, Shumai shrimp dumplings, and pork/chicken gyoza. Ajinomoto's association with authentic Japanese and Asian seasonings supports H Mart's comprehensive product offering.
• American Cancer SocietyminorOthersH Mart is a proud supporter of the American Cancer Society as part of its community giving program, supporting non-profit organizations and various causes throughout the country.
• Korean American Community OrganizationsminorOthersH Mart maintains longstanding partnerships with a broad network of Korean-American civic organizations including the Korean American Association of Greater New York, Los Angeles Korean American Association, Chicago Korean American Association, Boston Korean American Association, and dozens of others across the country through donations, grants, and community support.
• Asian Women's Christian AssociationminorOthersH Mart is listed as a proud supporter of the Asian Women's Christian Association, reflecting its commitment to supporting Asian-American community organizations and women's services.
• Fulton Fish MarketcoreOthersH Mart sources premium seafood directly from the Fulton Fish Market in New York as part of its mission to offer superior products, demonstrating its commitment to quality sourcing for its fresh seafood selection.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Trader Joe's:
• Wegmans Food Markets: Wegmans is a large East Coast regional supermarket chain known for broad assortment, prepared foods, and in-store dining. It is the most credible broad-line incumbent encroaching on H Mart's specialty Asian offering through expanded international and prepared-food sections.
• Whole Foods Market: Whole Foods is a national premium grocer (Amazon-owned) that has steadily expanded Asian SKUs, sushi, and prepared Asian bowls. It is the broad incumbent competing for the mainstream crossover shopper H Mart is increasingly trying to capture.

Direct peers

• 99 Ranch Market: 99 Ranch Market is the largest Chinese-American supermarket chain in the US with 60+ stores, directly competing with H Mart for Asian grocery shoppers, specialty produce, and prepared foods across overlapping geographies in California, Texas, and the East Coast.
• Uwajimaya: Uwajimaya is a Pacific Northwest-based Asian supermarket chain with strong Japanese and pan-Asian assortment plus in-store eateries. It competes most directly with H Mart on food-hall format, fresh seafood, and Japanese specialty categories.
• Mitsuwa Marketplace: Mitsuwa is a Japanese-focused supermarket chain with locations in California, New Jersey, and Illinois featuring food courts and extensive Japanese specialty SKUs. Comparable to H Mart's Japanese assortment depth and food-hall positioning.
• Zion Market: Zion Market is a Korean-American supermarket chain concentrated in California with multiple locations, directly competing with H Mart for Korean pantry, K-beauty, and prepared Korean food shoppers in the same DMAs.
• Lotte Plaza Market: Lotte Plaza Market is the US grocery arm of Korean conglomerate Lotte, operating Korean-focused supermarkets on the East Coast. It overlaps with H Mart on Korean assortment, K-beauty, and prepared foods in similar metro footprints.

Emerging players

• Patel Brothers: Patel Brothers is the largest South Asian (Indian) grocery chain in the US with 50+ stores. While South Asian-focused rather than East Asian, it is a comparable specialty ethnic grocery operator competing for immigrant-community grocery dollars in overlapping US metros.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Hmartofficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/hmartofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/hmartofficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@hmartofficial?lang=en
• Xx.com/hmartofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about H Mart