Busan Eomuk Takes on Seoul... Samjin Eomuk Knocks on the Door of Northern Seoul's Retail Market

New store opens at Lotte Department Store's Nowon branch

Expanding beyond a regional brand into the Seoul metropolitan area

Samjin Foods, a fish cake company founded in Busan, has opened a store in a department store in northern Seoul. It is another challenge by a regional company seeking to establish eomuk, a signature Busan food, in the Seoul metropolitan area's everyday consumer market.

Samjin Eomuk, led by CEO Park Yongjun, announced that it opened a store on the first basement level of Lotte Department Store's Nowon branch in Nowon-gu, Seoul, on November 3. The store is in an area centered around Nowon Station, where residential neighborhoods such as Sanggye and Junggye and commercial facilities are clustered. Its location targets not only department store shoppers but also everyday purchases by nearby residents.

The expansion is significant because it broadens the points of contact between a Busan brand and consumers in Seoul. The company also faces the challenge of turning the recognition it has built in its home region into brand competitiveness that can succeed in the Seoul metropolitan area. The key is not simply entering Seoul's retail network, but consistently winning over local consumers.

Samjin Eomuk Nowon Branch

At its new store, Samjin Eomuk will focus on ready-to-eat products, including hot deli fish cakes and fish cakes in broth. The company plans to target demand for everyday snacks and convenience foods by offering items that shoppers can eat easily while shopping.

Samjin Eomuk is a fish cake company that has grown from its base in Busan. The opening of its Nowon branch gives it a new foothold in northern Seoul, but expanding a regional brand's presence in the Seoul metropolitan area will require responding not only to consumer tastes and the retail environment, but also maintaining product competitiveness.

Lee Yuhwan, head of Samjin Eomuk's Store Business Division, said, "Lotte Department Store's Nowon branch is in an area with nearby residential neighborhoods and major commercial districts, so we expect demand for everyday purchases from local customers." He added that the company would expand its points of contact with consumers.

Busan's fish cakes are targeting department stores in Seoul. The challenge now is how long they can remain, and how many consumers they can reach, in an unfamiliar market's dining tables and daily lives.

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