On the morning of the 26th, Starfield Market at KINTEX in Il-san Seo-gu, Gyeonggi Province, was bustling with visitors of various ages who came to see the renovations, despite it being a weekday. Those who entered at the opening hour of 10 a.m. looked around and exchanged comments like, "It's much larger than before" and, "The selection has become more diverse."
Until recently, this place was operated under the name "THE TOWN MALL." After undergoing renovations for the past 4 months, it has now acquired the new name "Starfield Market KINTEX." The renovations focused on the 1st and 2nd floors above ground, covering an area of 4,445 pyeong (14,694㎡), except for the basement 1st floor Traders and Electro Mart.
An Emart official said, "We reflected the characteristics of the Il-san area, which has many family customers, by changing the overall layout to be family-friendly and focused the brands in the store on those that are popular."
◇ Space for relaxation and culture greatly expanded… "Considering family customers"
Passing through the main entrance on the 1st floor, visitors are welcomed by a 132-pyeong (436㎡) multi-cultural space called "Book Ground." Bright lights are attached to the pillars, which twinkle brightly, and books available for reading are placed on bookshelves installed on the outer surfaces of the pillars. Long sofas, tables, and chairs are arranged on the floor, allowing people to take breaks.
On the central area of the 2nd floor, where numerous food and beverage (F&B) stores are located, a new 18-pyeong (60㎡) "Kids Ground" has been established. It is designed to allow 30s and 40s customers with children to naturally relax and play while enjoying shopping or using the restaurants.
Including the 'Atrium' that was previously operated as a popup store and rest area, the relaxation and cultural space at KINTEX measures 200 pyeong (661㎡). The scale has doubled compared to before the renovations.
◇ Expanding popular brand stores and strengthening new entries
The Starfield Market KINTEX has restructured its brands to meet changing customer demands. Existing brands with high preference have been expanded into larger formats, and new tenants have been reinforced to the level of urban shopping malls.
Representative brands such as Olive Young have expanded from the existing 55 pyeong (182㎡) to 158 pyeong (522㎡), and Daiso has grown from 190 pyeong (628㎡) to 502 pyeong (1,660㎡) in size, enhancing their "core category competitiveness." Additionally, they are set to introduce "Musinsa Standard" for the first time in the Il-san area starting this September.
The competitiveness in F&B has also been enhanced. A new all-you-can-eat buffet "Ashley Queens" and a sushi brand "Godensushi" have entered the market.
Brands that are emerging among the 2030 demographic have also expanded their presence. The comprehensive bakery "Do Not Disturb Bakers," famous in the Gyeongbuk region as a "bread pilgrimage" destination, has entered for the first time in northern Gyeonggi, along with "Hwa Hwa Don," a popular pork cutlet restaurant in Seongsu-dong known for long lines, and "Uiryeong Buckwheat Research Institute," a specialty restaurant for buckwheat dishes, also debuting for the first time.
◇ Renovated after two years… "Targeting nearby metropolitan areas"
The KINTEX location opened its doors for the first time in June 2015 under the name "Emart Town." Emart was located above ground, while the basement 1st floor featured the warehouse-style discount store Emart Traders.
Emart concluded operations at Emart Town KINTEX in January 2023 and initiated renovations, transforming it into a new location called "THE TOWN MALL" in July of the same year. During this process, they completely removed the Emart from the ground level and significantly increased the dining area, shopping space, and resting areas to enhance experiential elements.
The renovation into Starfield Market aims to enhance experiential elements further, establishing a clear landmark in Il-san. Starfield Market is a brand that combines the retail know-how of Emart with the customer-friendly spatial planning capabilities of Starfield, which is recognized as the first and largest complex shopping mall in the country.
Emart first transformed its Jukjeon store in Yongin into the Starfield Market in August 2023. From the opening of the Jukjeon store until May of this year, cumulative sales increased by 36% compared to the same period last year, and the number of visitors rose by over 12%, being praised as the representative landmark of the region.
Building on the success of the Jukjeon store, Emart has analyzed the surrounding market and customer demand to consider transitioning large stores into Starfield Markets, designating KINTEX as the second location. According to Emart, the proportion of households with three or more members in Goyang City is 41%, while neighboring Gimpo City is 43% and Paju City is 38%, all significantly exceeding the national average of 34%. Access to the KINTEX point has also improved with the recent opening of GTX-A.
An Emart official noted, "Starfield Market KINTEX is expected to provide differentiated shopping experiences to about 1 million consumers in the northwestern metropolitan area, targeting the broader market that includes Gimpo Han River and Paju Unjeong within a 7 km radius of Il-san."