[Report] Homeplus Zero Market Packed with Eco-Friendly Products... "Feeling Proud When Shopping Is Done"

Refill Laundry Detergent 9 Won per 1g
Over 250 Items Sold Including Bamboo Toothbrushes and Reusable Straws
Customers Must Bring Their Own Bags for Products

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] "There are so many eco-friendly products like refill stations, fair trade household items, and vegan products. I lost track of time while browsing around."

On the afternoon of the 31st, Mrs. Kang, a housewife whom we met at the Zero Market in Homeplus Sindorim branch, Guro-gu, Seoul, said, "I heard that a Zero Market opened near my home, so I came to check it out," adding, "It's not realistic to switch everything to eco-friendly products, but I'm trying to practice environmentally conscious consumption little by little."

The Zero Market is a zero-waste store located in large retail outlets such as department stores and marts in Seoul, selling refill products and eco-friendly items. The Zero Market, located on the second basement floor of Homeplus Sindorim branch, is about 5 pyeong (approximately 16.5 square meters) in size. On the left side of the store, there is a refill station where customers can purchase kitchen detergent, fabric softener, laundry detergent, and more by filling their own containers. Customers bring containers from home, refill them, and pay only for the weight of the liquid. Laundry detergent is sold at 9 won per gram, kitchen detergent at 15 won per gram, and fabric softener at 19 won per gram. A store official explained, "Recently, the number of visitors has been increasing. Most customers bring empty containers for refilling, and first-time visitors sometimes purchase containers at the store to refill."

Throughout the store, about 250 types of eco-friendly products are densely displayed, including bamboo toothbrushes, natural scrubbers, reusable straws, kitchen soaps, shampoo bars, handkerchiefs, and beauty products. On the right display, vegan and fair trade food items are also sold. Since the goal is zero waste output, no plastic bags are available in the store. Customers must put products into their own reusable containers or bags, and if a bag is needed, recycled shopping bags are provided.

Homeplus has been operating Zero Markets at four locations including World Cup branch (started in December last year), Hapjeong branch, Sindorim branch, and Namhyeon branch. According to Homeplus, over the past three months, more than 2,400 customers purchased eco-friendly products at the Zero Markets. During this period, sales of refill detergent items increased by 205%, and soap items grew by 27%. Over 70% of customers were women, and regular customers who visited more than 1.5 times per month accounted for 10% per store. Homeplus also holds eco-friendly lectures linked with cultural centers and runs discount and giveaway events.