E-mart opens Starfield Market Wolgyejeom, its first Seoul location

E-mart has renovated its Wolgyejeom store, a flagship location in northeastern Seoul, and reopened it Thursday as Starfield Market Wolgyejeom, the company said.

The new store is the fifth Starfield Market location and the first in Seoul. It combines E-mart, Traders and a range of tenants under one roof, bringing together the retailer's core strengths into a single mixed-use shopping model.

The renovation was built around the concept of a "young family community market" targeting customers in their 30s and 40s with families, with a full overhaul of the shopping content and store layout. The central area of the first and second floors features a sunlit plaza called "Haetbit Gwangjang" that flows naturally into a book lounge and a children's play zone, creating a customer-centered space for rest and cultural activities.

About 80 percent of the food and beverage brands have also been replaced. The lineup includes the large family restaurant Ashley Queens, Japanese restaurant Shima Sushi, hansik specialist Seocheong Miyeok, Asian cuisine outlet Soy Yeonnam, and Elephant Food Court, where diners can enjoy a wide variety of dishes in one place.

Shopping content built around E-mart's private-label offerings has also been strengthened. A dedicated 165-square-meter zone inside the grocery floor showcases No Brand products. In October, a 330-square-meter standalone store for E-mart's ultra-low-price household goods line "Wow Shop" is set to open on the first floor.

Anchor tenants are being expanded as well. The CJ Olive Young on the first floor has been enlarged to 396 square meters, three times its previous size, while the second floor features major brands including Shinsegae Factory Store, Decathlon and ABC Mart. Uniqlo and Muji are scheduled to open at the location in November.

Pets are also welcome. Dogs and cats under 5 kilograms that have completed their vaccinations may accompany their owners in roughly 60 percent of the total store area — excluding the E-mart grocery floor, some food and beverage spaces, and certain other areas — provided they are carried in a covered pet stroller, kennel or cage.

E-mart has been rolling out Starfield Market locations since launching the format at its Jukjeon store in 2024, followed by Ilsan, Dongtan and Gyeongsan in 2025. The company plans to continue its space-innovation strategy through the Starfield Market format, deepening community-focused content and differentiated shopping experiences for local customers. Sales at the four existing Starfield Market stores rose 28 percent in the first half of this year compared with the same period a year earlier.

"As the first Starfield Market in Seoul, we will work to develop this space into a place where the whole family can enjoy culture and leisure beyond everyday grocery shopping and retail, and establish it as a landmark representing northeastern Seoul," E-mart said.