On the morning of the 14th at 10 a.m., the Traders Wholesale Club Magok branch, located in the Magok district of Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Traders is a warehouse discount store of Emart. On this day, the interior was packed with crowds waiting for 'open run' shopping to celebrate the grand opening of the Magok store.
In particular, whiskey enthusiasts gathered from various parts of Seoul to purchase the 'Kim Chang-soo Whiskey Single Cask 51.8,' which was exclusively sold during the Traders Magok opening event. Kim Chang-soo, regarded as a master of Korean whiskey, also held an event at the store to sign for buyers.
As people flocked to purchase TVs and strawberries offered at remarkable prices due to the opening event, lines formed for various products. Kim Young-hyun, a 48-year-old local resident visiting the Magok store that day, said, "There were no large supermarkets nearby, so I had to go far for grocery shopping, but the emergence of Traders, not even Emart, has resolved the residents' concerns all at once."
The Traders warehouse discount store at Magok officially opened on this day. This is the first warehouse discount store in the Gangseo area of Seoul and the first large supermarket in the Magok New Town. It becomes the second Traders store in Seoul, following the original store in Wolgye, and it is the 23rd store nationwide.
The Magok store is the first warehouse discount store in the Gangseo area and the first large supermarket in the Magok district. According to an analysis of the retail market within approximately 6 km radius of the Magok store by Traders, about 1.24 million people reside there. It is a key commercial area with developed transportation networks and office businesses. Notably, the proportion of households with 3 to 4 members (31.5%) and the proportion of the population in their 40s to 50s (32.3%) are higher than the Seoul average.
Considering the high consumer demographics and foot traffic around the Traders Magok store, it was developed as the largest store among existing locations (with a total area of 11,636 square meters, approximately 3,520 pyeong). It is over 10% larger than the Hanam branch, currently recording the highest sales among all Traders stores nationwide. Moreover, to differentiate itself from existing stores, the Traders Magok store has established a specialized roadshow space. For the opening, the roadshow space showcased Gundam model kits from Japanese animation and gacha machines to captivate visitors.
The Traders roadshow is a program that sells unique products such as small houses and supercars in limited quantities as it tours nationwide stores for 2 to 3 weeks. At the Magok store, it is expected to operate year-round. Last year, Traders earned 60 billion won solely from roadshow sales. An Emart official noted, "It is a space similar to a pop-up that cannot be found in existing large supermarkets," and added, "We will continue interesting sales plans reflecting consumers' needs and preferences."
According to Emart, the Traders Magok store has strengthened its products such as office supplies, snacks, and large commercial refrigerators, considering the office commercial area of the Magok district. Additionally, it has established the 'T-Cafe,' the largest in Traders (562 square meters), providing over 100 seats. Here, high-value menus, such as 45 cm large pizzas and domestically sourced chicken pho, are offered.
Due to the impact of high inflation, the warehouse discount store has shown rapid growth, and Traders is continuing its proactive expansion strategy. Last year, Traders' sales surpassed 3.5 trillion won, an increase of 5.2% from the previous year. Operating profit achieved 9.24 billion won, up 59% from the previous year. It has been evaluated as leading the overall recovery of Emart's performance.
Following the opening of the Magok store, Traders plans to open its 24th new store in Gugueldong, Incheon, in the second half of this year. Choi Taek-won, head of Emart's sales division, said, "Through the Magok store, which incorporates the know-how that Traders has accumulated, we will provide overwhelming price competitiveness, differentiated products, and regionally tailored services to consumers in the western area of the economy." He added, "We will strive for the Magok store to become a shopping landmark in the area."