Move over Family Mart, emart fever has taken over and we simply cannot get enough! Korean street food, here we come!

One of South Korea’s most popular convenience store chains — emart24 — has landed in Kuala Lumpur, opening its very first outlet in Bangsar South. The question on everyone’s mind: What goodies can we expect from emart24?

In their official opening announcement, emart24 revealed an exciting variety of artisanal and trendy products ranging from fresh Korean street food and snacks, as well as lifestyle and beauty items!

Having only been established in South Korea as recently as 2014, emart24 has grown to operate over 5,500 stores in the last seven years, making it the fastest-growing chain in the country. With such an aggressive market takeover, it’s no surprise that they’ve caught a whiff of the Hallyu Wave (or Korean Wave) that’s been taking over our shores. With a dynamic foreign expansion plan in place, emart24 hopes to open at least 300 stores here, in an effort to seal the brand’s position as a mainstay in the Malaysian market.

“In appreciation of Malaysians’ love for all things Korean, together with our private equity investors Karrin Associates, emart24 Malaysia aims to deliver an experience like no other in the convenience store scene,” said Vuitton Pang, CEO of emart24 Malaysia.

“The brand, recognised for its consumer-first approach in Korea, is an ideal fit for us here in Malaysia and we felt that the time was right for a more progressive approach to convenience stores in our country.”

THERE IS NO REAL CONVENIENCE WITHOUT SUPERIOR TECH

Another exciting feature we can expect from emart24 — better tech! Already setting itself apart from other convenience stores, emart24 is introducing modern and innovative concepts that is all the rage back in South Korea. For instance, emart24 was the first chain in the country to design and construct unmanned stores with self-checkout kiosks. Other features they’ve successfully implemented include purchase tracking and completely contactless payments. And it’s a good time for that, too!

“Especially now, in the current climate, contactless payments are the preferred method for both consumers and businesses,” said Pang. “With emart24’s technological advances in Korea, our long-term goal is to gradually introduce these innovations in Malaysia.”

The first location in Bangsar South is what is known as a “Reserve Store” under the emart24 banner, which will be quite different from the regular “General Stores” that the brand also plans to open in Malaysia. The defining difference between the two is that Reserve Stores will feature significantly larger spaces and customized interiors, with different looks and feels from store to store making each one seem like a unique location.

Regardless, the brand promises in delivering top-notch and consistent quality for every single one of their stores. The first General Store is already set to open in Hartamas quite soon.

Many will also be happy to know that emart24 has taken specific measures to make sure all products being sold are Muslim-friendly, and all fresh food and ready-to-eat items come from halal-certified suppliers.

But the cherry on the proverbial cake is going to be the availability of exclusive Korean-made cosmetics, beauty products, and fragrances from OnlyKorea — an authorized distributor of imported K-beauty products.

To find out more about emart24 and its upcoming promotions, you can check out the official Malaysian website here, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.