Image: Homeplus Special ()
Offline retailers, grappling with persistent challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to face closures, with Homeplus Seomyeon branch in Busan being the latest casualty.
This closure follows a trend since 2020, with four major supermarkets shutting down in Busan and three more scheduled for closure in the coming year, including NC Department Store in Seomyeon and Megamart in Namcheon-dong.
Homeplus announced the closure of its Seomyeon branch on February 14th next year, citing poor sales and diminished competitiveness resulting from the enduring impact of the pandemic.
The decision reflects a broader struggle faced by offline stores, even as pandemic-related restrictions ease. The Seomyeon branch, operational for over two decades, succumbed to declining sales that never fully recovered from the pandemic downturn.
Homeplus has already had closures in Gaya, Yeonsan, and Haeundae preceding the Seomyeon branch shutdown with eight branches remaining open.
