Emart Tech (이마트)
Emart (이마트) is Korea's #1 discount hypermarket operator, running 160+ stores across multiple formats (hypermarkets, warehouse, supermarkets, specialty) and serving mass-market consumers with food, household, and general merchandise since 1993.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Emart Tech (이마트) does
E-MART Inc. (주식회사 이마트) is Korea's largest discount retailer and the founding hypermarket chain in the country, established in 1993 and publicly traded on the Korea Exchange (ticker 139880) within the Shinsegae Group conglomerate. The company operates a multi-format retail platform comprising 160+ Emart hypermarkets, Emart Traders warehouse-club outlets, Emart Everyday neighborhood supermarkets, and specialty concepts including No Brand (hard discount), Electro Mart (electronics), Molly's (pet supplies), Toy Kingdom, PK Market, Starfield lifestyle malls, and convenience stores under Emart24. Supporting the retail network is proprietary fresh-food infrastructure — the Yeoju Logistics Center, Gwangju Meat Center (2011), and Icheon Fresh Center (2012) — that is the largest of its kind among Korean retailers.
The business is primarily a physical-store retailer with growing digital layers, including SSG.COM (group-wide online marketplace), the Emart Mall and Traders Mall storefronts, and the Emart mobile app with self-checkout, Scan & Go mobile checkout, and the 'eligo' autonomous delivery pilot. Revenue is generated mainly through transactional retail sales across formats, with additional streams from specialty stores, online commerce, shopping-complex leasing, and food processing/distribution. Pricing follows a value/EDLP model with private-label (No Brand) as a cost lever, supported by the cross-group Shinsegae Point loyalty ecosystem.
Internationally, Emart operates stores in China (since 1997), Vietnam (since 2015), Mongolia (since 2016, five stores by December 2024), and holds subsidiaries in the USA (New Seasons Market), Hong Kong, Europe (Emart Europe GmbH), and the Philippines/Laos for export support. FY2025 consolidated net sales reached 289,704 billion KRW (~$21.5B) with operating profit of 3,225 billion KRW, marking a sharp recovery from FY2024's depressed margins. Ownership is anchored by Chairman Yongjin Chung at 28.85%, with the National Pension Service at 8.66% and foreign investors at 24.18%.
Emart Tech (이마트) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Emart Tech (이마트)
- Legal name
- 주식회사 이마트
- Website
- https://company.emart.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Emart (이마트) is Korea's #1 discount hypermarket operator, running 160+ stores across multiple formats (hypermarkets, warehouse, supermarkets, specialty) and serving mass-market consumers with food, household, and general merchandise since 1993.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Emart Tech (이마트) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Discount Retail / Hypermarket Retail
- NAICS
- Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511), Warehouse Clubs, Supercenters, and Other General Merchandise Retailers (4552), General Merchandise Retailers (455)
- SIC
- Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Variety Stores (5331), Retail-Department Stores (5311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Grocery & Food Omnichannel (CRAFAEAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Discount Warehouse Grocers (Limited-Assortment Warehouse Format) (CRAHACAI), Convenience Retail with Parcel & Pickup Services (PUDO/Lockers) (CRAHABAL)
Keywords
Where Emart Tech (이마트) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seoul
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices7 records
Markets served
Emart Tech (이마트) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Sales (Discount Stores): Core revenue from merchandise sales through hypermarket format - Korea's #1 discount retailer with extensive product range including food, household goods, electronics, and apparel
- Warehouse/Traders Format: EDLP (Everyday Low Price) warehouse-type stores targeting small business owners and bulk shoppers
- Private Label (No Brand, PB Products): Emart's hard discount store brand 'No Brand' and private label products across categories including food, household, and personal care
- Specialty Stores: Revenue from specialty retail concepts including ElectroMart (electronics), Molly's Pet Shop (pet supplies), Toy Kingdom, PK Market, and Starfield shopping complexes
- Online/E-commerce: Emart Mall and Traders Mall online shopping platforms offering convenient shopping delivery from physical store locations
- Real Estate Leasing: Revenue from shopping complex operations including Starfield malls and property leasing
- Food Processing & Distribution: Fresh food operations through dedicated facilities including Meat Center (livestock processing), Fresh Center (agricultural products), and logistics centers
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Discount Store Format - Value Pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Traders Format - EDLP (Everyday Low Price) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels6 records
Emart Tech (이마트) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Emart operates Korea's largest discount retail network spanning hypermarkets, warehouse-type Traders stores, Emart Everyday supermarkets, and a portfolio of specialty concepts (No Brand hard-discount, ElectroMart, Molly's, Toy Kingdom, PK Market, Starfield). It sells groceries, household goods, fresh food, electronics, apparel, and private-label products through 160+ Korean stores and international locations, supplemented by online platforms (SSG.COM, Emart Mall) and mobile commerce. Supporting operations include dedicated Meat Center, Fresh Center, and Yeoju Logistics Center for fresh food processing and nationwide distribution.
Product overview
Emart operates a multi-format retail platform comprising discount stores (Emart), warehouse-type stores (Emart Traders), supermarkets (Emart Everyday), and specialty concepts including No Brand hard-discount stores, Electro Mart electronics stores, Molly's pet shops, Toy Kingdom, Baby Circle, and Starfield shopping malls. The portfolio also includes Emart Food Market and SSG.COM online mall. Supporting infrastructure includes logistics centers, meat centers, and fresh centers. Digital services include the Emart app, self-checkout kiosks, scan & go technology, and autonomous delivery service 'eligo'. The company serves customers through physical stores, online platforms, and mobile applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- E-MART: Main hypermarket/discount store brand - Korea's No. 1 discount retailer
- emart tomorrow
- No Brand
- Electro Mart
- Molly's
- Toy Kingdom
- Starfield
- Peacock Kitchen
- The Life
- PK Market
- SSG Food Market
- Baby Circle
- Curate (ESG)
- Humanize (ESG)
- Innovate (ESG)
- Forest Tomorrow
- GPFLO
- E-MART Inc.
Products and services
- Emart Hypermarket (이마트) Korea's number one discount hypermarket chain offering a wide range of consumer goods, groceries, and household products at competitive prices.
- Emart Traders (이마트 트레이더스) Warehouse-type discount store format offering EDLP (Everyday Low Price) merchandise primarily for small business owners and bulk shoppers.
- Emart Everyday (이마트 에브리데이) Neighborhood supermarket chain positioned as the number one local supermarket, providing daily necessities and groceries in residential areas.
- No Brand (노브랜드) Hard discount store format offering private label products with minimal packaging at significantly reduced prices.
- ElectroMart (일렉트로마트) Experiential electronics and appliances specialty store allowing customers to test and interact with products before purchase.
- Molly's Pet Shop (몰리스) Pet supplies total specialty store offering comprehensive range of products for various pets.
- PK Market (PK 마켓) Premium food market combining groceries and dining experiences.
- Toy Kingdom (토이킹덤) Experiential toy store offering hands-on play experiences for children.
- Baby Circle (베이비써클) Infant and toddler products specialty store with expert staff.
- Starfield (스타필드) Future-oriented shopping mall combining shopping, relaxation, and culture in a lifestyle destination format.
- Emart Food Market (이마트 푸드마켓) Food specialty store pursuing 'grocery always low price' strategy with fresh produce focus.
- SSG.COM Online Shopping Mall Online shopping mall offering convenient and fast shopping experience integrated with Emart store locations nationwide.
- e-mile Quick Delivery Service (이마일) Quick online delivery service for fast fulfillment from Emart Everyday store locations.
- Emart App (이마트 앱) Mobile application offering digital receipts, mobile payments, store navigation, and promotional services for Emart shoppers.
- Emart e-Card (이마트 e카드) Digital payment and loyalty card service linked to Shinsegae Point ecosystem.
- Emart Mobile Service (MVNO) Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) telecommunications service offered under the Emart brand.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1 billion cumulative customers reached (June 2005)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Emart Tech (이마트)
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Emart Tech (이마트) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Emart Tech (이마트) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered significant, core and minor.
- Starbucks KoreasignificantEmart acquired additional stake in Starbucks Korea in July 2021, strengthening its food and beverage service offerings and leveraging the Starbucks brand within its retail ecosystem.
- eBay KoreasignificantEmart signed a share transfer contract with eBay Korea in June 2021, establishing strategic business collaboration through share exchange.
- Walmart KoreasignificantEmart acquired all 16 locations of Walmart Korea in May 2006, becoming Korea's top discount retailer and surprising the global retail industry with this acquisition.
- WWF (World Wildlife Fund)corePartnership for PSI (Product Sustainability Initiative) research - Phase 1 focusing on sustainable sourcing and packaging roadmap with Seoul National University researchers.
- IBK企业銀行 (IBK Industrial Bank of Korea)coreWin-Win Growth Fund partnership providing preferential loan rates for partner companies through IBK Win-Win Growth Agreement Loans.
- KB国民銀行 (KB Kookmin Bank)coreWin-Win Growth Fund partnership providing preferential loan rates for partner companies.
- 우리銀行 (Woori Bank)coreWin-Win Growth Fund partnership - 'Sangsaeng Plus Loan' product for partner companies with 80% financing for direct purchases.
- KEB 하나銀行 (KEB Hana Bank)coreWin-Win Growth Fund partnership providing preferential financing for partner companies.
- 新韓銀行 (Shinhan Bank)coreWin-Win Growth Fund partnership - 'Damoa Loan' product for partner companies.
- Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI)corePartnership for eco-friendly certification support - assisting partner companies in obtaining environmental certifications (environmental marks, low-carbon, environmental performance labels) with consulting and certification costs supported.
- BMW KoreaminorPartnership for electric vehicle charging station expansion - BMW and Tesla cooperation for EV charging infrastructure in Emart parking lots.
- TeslaminorPartnership for electric vehicle charging station expansion - BMW and Tesla cooperation for EV charging infrastructure.
- Korea Ministry of EnvironmentcoreMultiple environmental partnerships including Green Card system (eco-money points), eco-friendly consumption festivals, RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard) solar energy, plastic reduction campaigns.
- Seoul Metropolitan GovernmentcorePartnership for EV charging infrastructure installation and operation with Seoul City and Ministry of Environment.
- AFoCO (Asia Forest Cooperation Organization)corePartnership for Mongolia desertification prevention - 10 billion tree planting campaign participation, Tree planting at Terelj National Park 4.4ha, 15,000 trees planned by 2028.
- Shinsegae GroupcoreParent company and group synergies - shared loyalty program (Shinsegae Point), joint e-commerce (SSG.COM), brand partnerships across department stores, food, hotels, and sports.
- NaverminorStrategic partnership through share swap deal with Naver - strengthening online business cooperation.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Emart Tech (이마트) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Walmart: Walmart is the global discount retail incumbent whose Korean operations Emart acquired in 2006. Walmart represents the global template for hypermarket scale that Emart's domestic leadership mirrors.
- Carrefour: Carrefour is a global hypermarket incumbent operating in multiple geographies. Comparable to Emart's hypermarket + Traders warehouse multi-format approach, particularly in international expansion contexts.
- Tesco: Tesco operates hypermarkets, supermarkets, and online grocery in multiple markets, providing a comparable multi-format retail template to Emart's ecosystem. Tesco's Clubcard loyalty is structurally analogous to Shinsegae Point.
- Lidl: Lidl (Schwarz Group) is Europe's leading hard-discount grocery retailer. Its discount-grocery model parallels Emart's No Brand + Traders strategy, though it does not directly compete in Korea.
Direct peers
- Coupang: Coupang is Korea's largest e-commerce platform with Rocket Delivery, increasingly competing with Emart's online grocery business and physical stores via fast delivery. Emart's SSG.COM and Coupang compete in the same Korean consumer wallet share.
- Aldi: Aldi is the global benchmark for hard-discount retail, directly comparable to Emart's No Brand hard-discount format. Both compete on minimal packaging, private label, and aggressive everyday low pricing.
- Costco Wholesale: Costco operates warehouse-format bulk retail with EDLP pricing, directly comparable to Emart's Traders warehouse stores. Both target small business owners and bulk family buyers with membership/loyalty models.
- Homeplus: Homeplus is one of Korea's leading hypermarket and supermarket chains, directly competing with Emart's discount store and Emart Everyday formats. Both target value-conscious Korean families with similar multi-format retail strategies.
- Lotte Mart: Lotte Mart is Emart's primary direct competitor in Korean discount/hypermarket retail, operating hypermarkets, supermarkets, and e-commerce. Both companies compete head-to-head for the same mass-market Korean consumers across identical product categories.
Emerging players
- Naver (Smartstore): Naver's Smartstore and Shopping platforms are emerging competitive forces in Korean online retail. Emart's share-swap partnership with Naver signals strategic recognition of this competitive overlap and ecosystem positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Emart Tech (이마트) social profiles
Digital presenceEmart Tech (이마트) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Emart Tech (이마트) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Emart Tech (이마트) subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries23 records
Emart Tech (이마트) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Emart Tech (이마트) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Emart Tech (이마트)
What does Emart Tech (이마트) do?
Emart operates Korea's largest discount retail network spanning hypermarkets, warehouse-type Traders stores, Emart Everyday supermarkets, and a portfolio of specialty concepts (No Brand hard-discount, ElectroMart, Molly's, Toy Kingdom, PK Market, Starfield). It sells groceries, household goods, fresh food, electronics, apparel, and private-label products through 160+ Korean stores and international locations, supplemented by online platforms (SSG.COM, Emart Mall) and mobile commerce. Supporting operations include dedicated Meat Center, Fresh Center, and Yeoju Logistics Center for fresh food processing and nationwide distribution.
Is Emart Tech (이마트) a public or private company?
Emart Tech (이마트) is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Emart Tech (이마트) founded?
Emart Tech (이마트) was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Emart Tech (이마트) based?
Emart Tech (이마트) is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does Emart Tech (이마트) make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Retail Sales (Discount Stores) is the primary driver. The others are warehouse/Traders Format, private Label (No Brand, PB Products), specialty Stores, online/E-commerce, real Estate Leasing and food Processing & Distribution.
Who are Emart Tech (이마트)'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Walmart, Carrefour, Tesco and Lidl. Direct peers are Coupang, Aldi, Costco Wholesale, Homeplus and Lotte Mart. Naver (Smartstore) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Emart Tech (이마트) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Emart Tech (이마트).
What industry is Emart Tech (이마트) in?
Emart Tech (이마트)'s product category is Discount Retail / Hypermarket Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAEAE, Grocery & Food Omnichannel, with a secondary code of CRAHACAI, Discount Warehouse Grocers (Limited-Assortment Warehouse Format). Its NAICS code is 44511 and its SIC code is 5411.