[Courtesy of Emart]
SEOUL -- E-mart, the hypermarket wing of South Korea's retail conglomerate Shinsegae, has forged an alliance with SPAR International, a Dutch retail and wholesale company, in an effort to attract Chinese consumers with private label (PB) brands.
"This agreement will be the turning point for our business in China," Emart said in a statement. Emart and SPAR agreed to cooperate in the distribution of PB brands through SPAR China which has 400 stores.
The deal will help E-Mart re-enter the Chinese market nearly a year after it pulled out last year at the height of a diplomatic row over a U.S. missile shield deployed in South Korea that sparked China's retaliatory action. Seoul and Beijing agreed to normalize relations under an agreement in October last year.
At home, E-mart has charmed consumers with PB brands such as No Brand, a budget food and daily supplies brand, and Peacock, a premium ready-to-eat food brand. Emart's cosmetic brand, Sentence, is also favored by cost-conscious consumers.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
