"Safety Alert" Sent as Thousands Line Up Overnight for Opening Rush at Traders Guwol Branch [Report]

Queues Form Overnight for Traders Guwol Branch Grand Opening
Over 3,000 Join the "Open Run" for Limited Edition Whiskey and Half-Price Camping Gear
Incheon’s Growing Young Population Fuels Retail Market Expansion

On the morning of September 5, in front of the massive green warehouse-style building of Traders Guwol Branch in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, the line of people waiting to enter stretched endlessly. The road outside the building was filled with cars heading to Traders, causing traffic congestion, and due to the record-breaking crowds, a nearby cafe ran out of ingredients early in the morning and had to suspend sales of some products.

Around noon that day, a safety alert message was sent out stating, "Due to extreme traffic congestion caused by the opening of the large supermarket in Guwol-dong, please take an alternate route."

On the morning of the 5th, in front of Traders Guwol Branch in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, the line waiting to enter stretched endlessly, causing traffic congestion on the road outside the building. Photo by JaeHyun Park

The official opening of Traders Guwol Branch that day saw people lining up for the limited edition whiskey as early as 10 p.m. the previous night. When Traders Magok Branch opened in February, "Kim Changsoo Whiskey" was the main draw for the opening rush. To commemorate the opening of the Guwol Branch, "Kim Changsoo Whiskey Guwol" was released in a limited quantity of 126 bottles, and posts appeared on social media from the previous night about people waiting in line. Kim Junyoung (28), who came from Osan, Gyeonggi Province, said, "I also came for the limited edition whiskey when the Magok Branch opened," and added, "I started waiting at 3:30 a.m. and was the 19th person to purchase the whiskey."

Visitors' carts were filled with whiskey, peaches, camping gear, and more. Some people packed their carts with more than ten bottles of whiskey that were heavily discounted. Especially popular were camping gear sets such as the Kovea Camp One Khaki Edition, worth 160,000 won, and the 800 Degrees Mini Oven, which were sold at half price (69,800 won), with all 300 limited sets selling out immediately after opening. Lee (56), a local resident, said while holding camping sets in both hands, "I heard I could buy them at half price, so I waited from early morning, but the person I came with hasn't even entered the store yet," and added, "I was disappointed that there weren't any stores nearby before, but now that it's close to home, I think I'll come often."

On the morning of the 5th, customers purchasing the limited quantity of 'Kim Changsoo Whiskey' at Traders Guwol Branch and Kim Changsoo, the CEO, signing autographs. Provided by Emart

As the store became packed, the checkout area was also crowded. The line of green carts filled with eggs, meat, peaches, camping gear, and whiskey stretched long, with customers having to wait over 30 minutes for their turn. The store was filled with shoppers and people waiting, most of whom were swept along by the crowd. The checkout line extended from the registers all the way to the prepared food corner at the end of the store, with the self-checkout and regular checkout lines tangled together, and some visitors even arguing. Some customers, hearing that they would have to wait 30 minutes just to enter, left the store empty-handed in disappointment.

Traders Guwol Branch is the newest store to open in seven months since the Magok Branch opened in February. It is the second Traders store in Incheon Metropolitan City, following the Songnim Branch, which opened in April 2011. With a size of 154,380 square meters (4,670 pyeong), it is the largest among all Traders locations. Of this, the directly operated area is 9,586 square meters (about 2,900 pyeong), and the tenant (leased stores) area is 5,851 square meters (1,770 pyeong), with the tenant space expanded compared to previous stores.

An Emart representative explained, "We expanded the anchor tenant space, which is highly preferred by customers, to enable one-stop shopping," adding, "The tenant area is the largest among all Traders stores." Of the 19 tenants, 13 opened simultaneously, while the remaining six, including Olive Young and Daiso, are scheduled to open sequentially later this month.

The Incheon commercial district continues to show steady growth. As of January last year, the population of Incheon Metropolitan City surpassed 3 million, reaching 3,041,215 as of July this year. In particular, the birth rate in the first half of this year increased by 12.1%, the highest among the 17 major cities and provinces nationwide, making the area highly regarded for its consumer potential. An Emart representative stated, "Namdong-gu, where Traders Guwol Branch is located, is an area scheduled for redevelopment of the old downtown and the development of Guwol 2 District," and added, "We decided to open this core Traders store in anticipation of the area's mid- to long-term growth in consumer potential."

On the morning of the 5th, at the Traders Guwol branch in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, the waiting line for checkout extended all the way to the prepared food section at the end of the store. Photo by JaeHyun Park

The distinguishing feature of the Guwol Branch is the expanded selection of popular international products and roadshow spaces compared to previous locations. Since the beginning of this year, Traders has introduced more than 80 popular international products to enhance its product competitiveness. Notable examples include Lay's chips, PHYSIOGEL cream, and Trolli gummies. The number of "roadshow" spaces, which showcase unique products, has increased to 15, up by two compared to the Magok Branch's 13.

With high inflation driving demand for value-for-money products, Traders has maintained strong growth. In the second quarter of this year, Traders' total sales increased by 8.1% compared to the previous year. For the first half of the year, sales rose by 6.8%, contributing to Emart's overall performance. An Emart representative explained, "Despite intensifying competition in the retail industry, Traders continues its steady growth," adding, "Large-volume and value-for-money products are gaining a competitive edge amid high inflation."