4th Starfield 'Anseong Branch'... Five Days Left Until Opening Amid COVID-19 Era

'Open Special' Missing in Distribution Industry
Mutual Growth Issues Remain in Anseong and Pyeongtaek Areas

'Starfield Anseong' bird's-eye view

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] 'Starfield Anseong,' the largest complex shopping mall in southern Gyeonggi Province, is set for its grand opening in five days on the 7th. However, with the so-called 'opening boom' of customers disappearing early this year due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), challenges remain, including the cooperation agreement issues with Anseong City and Pyeongtaek City.

Total floor area of 240,000㎡... Largest shopping mall in southern Gyeonggi

According to the distribution industry on the 2nd, Shinsegae Property will open 'Starfield Anseong,' the largest complex shopping mall in southern Gyeonggi, on the 7th. This opening marks the first Starfield opening in about three years following Hanam, COEX Mall, and Goyang branches. It has also been two years and three months since the construction permit was granted by Anseong City in July 2018. The asset size of Starfield Anseong Co., Ltd. was 409.3 billion KRW at the end of 2019.

Typically, the period just before the Chuseok holiday is considered a peak season for the distribution industry. However, the property side decided to schedule the opening after Chuseok to comply with the government's strengthened social distancing measures and to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With a three-day holiday including Hangul Day on October 9th, initial success is also anticipated.

Located in Gungdo-eup, Anseong City, Gyeonggi Province, Starfield Anseong is built with a total floor area of 240,000㎡ (approximately 72,600 pyeong) and parking capacity for 5,000 vehicles simultaneously. Compared to Hanam (460,000㎡) and Goyang (370,000㎡) branches, it is smaller in scale. The mall has two basement floors and three above-ground floors, housing about 300 stores including warehouse-style discount store E-Mart Traders, Gourmet Street, Ittopia, cafes, and food and beverage (F&B) facilities, as well as specialty stores like Electromart and Toy Kingdom. Entertainment spaces for family customers such as Aquafield, Sports Monster, and Megabox?which offers the region's first MX theater and Kids theater?are also included.

In cooperation with Anseong City, priority hiring for local residents was implemented. From July 30th to this month’s 30th, Starfield Anseong held an online job fair creating various direct employment opportunities including sales, store management, facility management, security and parking staff, and administrative support. Unlike traditional methods, video interviews were introduced through an ontact (an expanded concept of untact, meaning online face-to-face activities) approach.

Opening boom disappears in distribution industry... Regional coexistence issues remain

The issue of COVID-19, which is tightening restrictions across the distribution industry, remains a problem. Hyundai Department Store Duty Free opened its second downtown duty-free store in Doosan Tower, Dongdaemun, Seoul, following the Trade Center branch in February. Normally, various opening events would have been held, but due to COVID-19, events could not be conducted. The store also started shortened operating hours immediately upon opening. Hyundai Premium Outlet Daejeon, which opened in July, was temporarily closed after a confirmed COVID-19 case visited just eight days after opening. The urban outlet NC Shingu-ro branch, recently opened by E-Land Retail, also postponed its opening from August to September by more than a month due to COVID-19 issues.

Continuous communication is also needed regarding coexistence with local small business owners. In fact, Shinsegae Property signed a business agreement on the 25th with Pyeongtaek City, Gyeonggi Credit Guarantee Foundation, and Pyeongtaek Small Business Merchants Association to support local small business owners in Pyeongtaek. They are providing management stabilization funds and exploring various cooperation plans such as priority hiring of local residents to coexist with the local community. This follows a coexistence agreement with Anseong City in July and now includes Pyeongtaek City as well.

Conflicts over traffic congestion issues with Pyeongtaek City continue. On the 14th, Pyeongtaek City stated in a non-face-to-face press briefing that "severe congestion is expected on National Road No. 38 connecting Pyeongtaek and Anseong once Starfield Anseong opens," and argued that the opening date should be postponed. During Gyeonggi Province's traffic impact assessment, there was a review result requiring the construction of a direct ramp connecting the Gyeongbu Expressway Anseong IC directly to Starfield Anseong. However, during the ramp construction in June, bedrock was discovered, extending the construction period by three months from the originally planned September, so the opening date should also be adjusted accordingly.

Im Young-rok, CEO of Shinsegae Property, said, "Starfield Anseong will provide local residents with various experiences including shopping, culture, and healing, and will spare no effort to coexist with the local community. Above all, we decided to hold the grand opening after the Chuseok holiday to comply with the government's strengthened social distancing measures and prioritize customer safety, and we will do our best to welcome customers more safely."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.