Woochul Cha, CEO of Lotte Mart and Lotte Super: "Strengthening Core Domestic Business and Expanding Overseas Operations"... 'Partners Day' Concludes Successfully

Pursuing Sustainable Growth Through Overseas Expansion
'Zetta Smart Center Busan' to Launch in the First Half of Next Year
Full-Scale Expansion of Online Grocery Business

Lotte Mart and Lotte Super announced on December 9 that they successfully hosted the '2026 Lotte Mart & Lotte Super Partners Day' at the Bottle Bunker Bistro inside the Lotte Mart Zettaflex Jamsil branch on December 9.

A photo of Woochul Cha, CEO of Lotte Mart and Lotte Super, attending the '2026 Lotte Mart & Lotte Super Partners Day' held at Bottle Bunker Bistro. Provided by Lotte Mart.

Now in its fourth year, 'Partners Day' is a gathering for invited partner companies, designed to further solidify collaborative relationships amid the rapidly changing retail environment and to establish a sustainable framework for mutual growth.

The event was personally led by Woochul Cha, the newly appointed CEO of Lotte Mart and Lotte Super, and was attended by the CEOs and executives of major partner companies. In his first official meeting, Woochul Cha expressed his gratitude for the ongoing cooperation of partner companies and affirmed his commitment to maintaining a trust-based collaborative relationship. He also shared the key business directions and plans for Lotte Mart and Lotte Super for the coming year.

To date, Lotte Mart and Lotte Super have focused on strengthening core business competitiveness through initiatives such as enhancing synergies from the integration of the grocery business division, boosting product competitiveness centered on fresh and private label (PB) products, and expanding stores specializing in groceries. Next year, based on these strategies, the company aims to further increase its competitiveness in the domestic market, while also securing new growth engines by expanding high-potential overseas operations and the online grocery business.

Internationally, the company plans to strengthen its grocery specialty store strategy centered on K-Food to build differentiated global competitiveness. Vietnam and Indonesia, where Lotte Mart operates, are promising markets with rapidly growing middle classes due to high economic growth rates and population increases. Lotte Mart is steadily strengthening its market position through store renewals tailored to local consumer trends and by expanding K-Food-centered product lines. Notably, this year, the Bali store in Indonesia was remodeled into a hybrid format combining wholesale and retail functions, achieving meaningful results. Building on this, the company plans to further reinforce local cooperation structures by supporting outstanding domestic partner companies in their overseas expansion.

Additionally, Lotte Mart and Lotte Super plan to create new revenue streams by expanding exports of private label products, while providing partner companies with stable opportunities to broaden their sales channels. In particular, the company will enhance support for obtaining certifications to enter the rapidly growing halal markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, thereby boosting the global competitiveness of PB partner companies.

Domestically, the company will launch its online grocery business in earnest in the first half of next year by operating the advanced automated logistics center 'Zetta Smart Center Busan.' This center will utilize the Smart Platform (OSP) from UK's Ocado, fundamentally addressing issues such as product spoilage, stockouts, omissions, and incorrect deliveries that have plagued online grocery shopping, while significantly improving delivery quality and customer satisfaction.

In April this year, Lotte Mart introduced the AI-based online grocery shopping app 'Lotte Mart Zetta,' creating a personalized and fresh shopping environment for customers. Going forward, by operating the 'Zetta Smart Center Busan,' the company aims to combine the freshness and competitiveness of offline shopping with the convenience of online services, thereby establishing a new growth model that delivers innovative retail experiences and value to both customers and partner companies.

Woochul Cha, CEO of Lotte Mart and Lotte Super, stated, "In the rapidly changing retail environment, a trust-based partnership with our partners is our most valuable asset. Going forward, we will strengthen our core domestic business and expand high-potential overseas operations to broaden opportunities for mutual growth."

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