A look at the new emart24 Korean convenience store at Bangsar South

emart24 has finally opened its door in Malaysia with the first outlet located at Bangsar South. The maiden outlet in Bangsar South is well placed to meet the needs of young professional white-collar workers in the area including those working in the BPO industry.

emart24’s key highlights are its hot and chilled ready-to-eats and its famous private label brands including No Brand and I’m e as well as other popular Korean food and drink brands like Cass beer, Nongshim, Haitai, CJ Foods and Lotte. There is also a section on K-beauty.

We are greeted with “emart24 Korean Hits” section featuring a shelf stacked with the most popular No Brand chips in canister. These are the top-selling snacks in emart24 outlets in South Korea.

Beverages

The drink aisles include a selection of imported Korean beverages that are unique to emart24 such as Min Saeng Sweet Coffee (500ml) and Min Saeng Bitter Coffee (500ml) priced at RM 5.90 each as well as I’m e Jeju Citrus drink (500ml) and I’m e Aloe drink (500ml) priced at RM 5.90 per bottle.

Other imported beverages include Woongjin Teazzle Craft Blending Tea (500ml) – RM 6.90, Kwangdong Corn Silk Tea (540ml) – RM 6.90, Maxim T.O.P. Coffee and Samyang Brown Sugar Latte (RM 7.50).

OKF has a strong presence in the beverage section with Farmer’s Aloe Vera Sugar Free (500ml – RM 4.90), Musk Melon With Aloe (500ml – RM 6.90), Watermelon Sparkling Juice (500ml – RM 6.90), Aloe Vera Sparkling Pomelo/Original (500ml – RM 4.90). Haitai has a few SKUs including Crushed Pear (230ml – RM 3.90) and Grape Bongbong (230ml – RM 3.90). The famous Chuppa Cups Orange in a can is priced at RM 4.20/345ml.

Cass Fresh beer is selling at RM 12.90. By the way, Cass now has an official store on Shopee Malaysia retailing at RM 10 per can (normal price RM 12 per can).

Ice cream

Chilled ready-to-eat

Moving over to the chilled ready-to-eat section, we have a wide range of ready-to eat Korean foods in a well designed pack. We are keen to know the producer of these foods. Right now, this information alludes us.

Below is the list of emart24 chilled ready-to-eat offerings and their prices:

• Grilled Eel Samgak Gimbap (115g) – RM 4.50
• Tuna Mayo Samgak Gimbap (115g) – RM 4.50
• Gochujang Mayo Tuna Samgak Gimbap (115g) – RM 4.50
• Tuna Kimchi Fried Rice Samgak Gimbap (115g) – RM 4.50
• Bulgogi Chicken Samgak Gimbap (115g) – RM 4.50
• Egg Roll Gimbap (125g) – RM 4.50
• Crabstick Gimbap (125g) – RM 4.50
• Toasted Chicken and Cheese Sandwich (120g) – RM 4.90
• Inkigayo Sandwich (120g) – RM 5.20
• Kimchi Chicken Sandwich (120g) – RM 5.20
• Samsaek Sandwich (120g) – RM 5.20
• Bulgogi Beef Premium Gimbap (390g) – RM 8.50
• Kimchi Fried Rice Premium Gimbap (390g) – RM 8.50
• K-Spice Chicken Premium Gimbap (390g) – RM 8.50
• First Baking Injeolmi Cake (240ml) – RM 10.90
• First Baking De Mango Cake (240ml) – RM 10.90
• First Baking Korean Strawberry Yogurt  (240ml) – RM 10.90

Bakery

In the bakery section, there are around 15 packaged bakery items ranging from RM 3.20 to RM 7.90. The key highglights are the K-Spice Bun and the Korean Charcoal Cream Cheese Bun.

• Custard Doughnut (80g) – RM 3.20
• Stawberry Delight (110g) – RM 3.20
• Lemon Cream Muffin (100g) – RM 7.90
• Chocolate Chip Muffin (100g) – RM 7.90
• Mocha Boy (90g) – RM 4.90
• Nutella Roll (110g) – RM 4.90
• Korean Charcoal Cream Cheese Bun (110g – RM 5.90)
• K-Spice Chicken Floss Bun (120g) – RM 3.50
• K-Spice Tuna Bun (110g) – RM 4.90
• Sweet Chicken Floss Cream Bun (120g) – RM 3.50
• Chili Lime Tuna Bun (120g) – RM 4.90
• Black Sesame Bun (110g) – RM 3.20
• Corn Mayo Sausage Bun (120g) – RM 4.90
• Chocolate Almond Croissant (80g) – RM 4.50
• Lemon Cream Croissant (80g) – RM 4.50

There are also a few cakes and pastries as well.

Hot ready-to-eat (The Korean Street Food Experience)

Be sure to check out the hot ready-to-eat section as it offers the authentic Korean Street Food experience with eomuk, cupdak and cupbak.

In the hot food section, the highlights are the eomuk or Korean fish cakes and cupdak (chicken in a cup).

• Cheese Eomuk – RM 6.90
• Crabstick Eomuk – RM 6.90
• Sausage Eomuk – RM 6.90
• Seafood Eomuk – RM 6.90
• Original Sausage – RM 6.90
• Soy Garlic Cupdak – RM 7.90
• K-Spice Cupdak – RM 7.90

For the steamed buns, the choices are as follow:

• BBQ Chicken Pau – RM 2.70
• Matcha Red Bean Pau – RM 2.70
• Double Chocolate Pau- RM 2.70
• Bulgogi Chicken Pau – RM 2.70
• K-Spice Sausage Pau – RM 2.70

For Cupbak, consumers can choose four flavours Bulgogi Chicken (RM 9.90); Bulgogi Beef (RM 9.90); Tuna Mayo (RM 9.90) and Grilled Salmon (RM 12.90) and a selection of three sauces Soy Garlic, Gochujang Mayo and Sweet Chili Lime Sauce.

Beverage and desserts

Apart from the usual coffee and tea, the stars of this section are the waffle Cone (RM 2.90) and Bungeoppang Cone (RM 5.90) with two flavour choices – Yuzu Mango and Charcoal Coconut. Consumers can opt to combine the two flavours and turn them into a twist.

Desserts are primarily Snow Bingsu – Ddalgi, Injeolmi, Milo Dinosaur and Mango priced at RM 5.90 each.

The tea selections include:

• English Breakfast Tea – (hot: RM 2.90; cold: RM 3.90)
• Hot Forest Fruit Tea – (hot: RM 2.90; cold: RM 3.90)
• Hot Mint Tea – (hot: RM 2.90; cold: RM 3.90)
• Hot Green Tea – (hot: RM 2.90; cold: RM 3.90)

The coffee choices are:

• Americano (hot: RM 2.90; cold: RM 5.90
• Latte (hot: RM 4.90; cold: RM 6.90)
• Hot cappuccino (RM 4.90)
• Mocha (hot: RM 5.90; cold: RM 7.90)
• Chocolate (hot: RM 5.90; cold: RM 7.90)

Packaged Korean meals/foods

emart24 is an ideal platform to promote packaged Korean foods including topokki (chilled and ambient). It is interesting to see Korinus Tok-Poki gaining a shelf space in emart24.

The shelf stable products from CJ Foods include Bibigo Sweet Red Bean Porridge (RM 14.90) and Bibigo Scorched Riced Porridge with Chicken (RM 14.90).

CJ Foods has a strong presence in the frozen section with products like Bibigo Mandu and Bibigo Mandu Vegetables and Japchae Dumpling. Products from other brands comprise Allgroo Seafood Pancake, Allgroo Kimchi Pancake, Allgroo Glass Noodle Gyoza Mandu and Samyang Buldak Dumpling.

Mamee is omni present

As the main partner, Mamee has the naturally advantage in securing shelf placement for Mamee’s entire range of products from Daebak Ghost Pepper Cola to Mamee Monster snacks.

Mamee is also the OEM partner for the emart24 owner Shinsegae and is responsbile for making private label products including No Brand snacks for retailers operating under Shinsegae. Some of the No Brand snacks you find at emart24 is made by Mamee in its factory in Malaysia.

emart24 Malaysia plans to open 10 outlets in Malaysia by the end of 2021 and establish a network of 300 stores in the country within five years.

Address:

emar24 Bangsar South

Ground Floor, Wisma Touch ‘n Go Tower 6, Avenue 5, The Horizon, Bangsar South, 59200 Kuala Lumpur

*all images by Minimeinsights.com