E-Mart looks to direct sourcing.

view the article
(By Yoo Soh-jung Korea Herald correspondent)

Summary
E-Mart is the largest discount store chain in Korea. Shinsegae announced plans to steadily increase direct purchasing, and it is diversifying sourcing market for hypermarket in SHENZHEN, china.
It’s easy for consumers to have better quality goods at a lower cost. That’s why the company’s direct management and control of the goods. It helps to expand private label brands and to strength price competitiveness. Last year, direct purchasing totaled 110 billion won and 305 product categories.
E-Mart was the first discount store chain using the direct purchasing approach which began in 2003 in China. It’s possible to purchase 20-30% cheaper than others.

My opinion
The E-Mart advance into China was a proper countermove against a saturated Korea market then. There are so many competitors in Korea already. Such attempt, however, might have big risk about failure at that time. Huge success, a saturated market in Korea, and attractive China market were factors drawing that result.

I think E-Mart strategies were proper to China’s situation-socialism, Chinese consumption pattern, market trade way and so on. I remember seeing TV program about E-Mart advance into China and its success progress about strategy to be local market. It was very impressed to me.
The direct management allows E-mart to offer cheap price and better quality goods through remove other complicated procedure.
It has many advantages, for example, know-how, low price, service, friendly image about Korea. At that time, there are some worried factors- huge competitors, late entrance. It needs more brand development against famous competitors.
I think it has meaning itself as the first corporation into China and it lead to other company’s entrance into China. Its success is good information and data for others.

# 20300194- Entry 10