E-mart is opening standalone No Brand stores in Mongolia, starting with three outlets this year, as the South Korean retailer seeks to build on surging demand for its private-label products in the country.

The company said Thursday it plans to expand the No Brand specialty stores to 15 locations by 2028, while establishing a dedicated logistics cluster for the brand. In the long term, the company plans to expand its network within Mongolia, building up to 50 stores nationwide in the next 10 years.

The move comes as No Brand products have gained traction through E-mart’s existing operations in Mongolia, where the retailer has built a sizable presence since entering the market in 2016. E-mart currently operates six stores in the country, with weekend daily foot traffic nearing 30,000 visitors, according to the company.

Almost half of the country’s population lives near the capital Ulaanbaatar, making the city a critical hub for distribution networks and consumption. With long winters and constant traffic, there is high demand for one-stop shopping.

In 2025, No Brand recorded 50,000 sales in cheese snacks, 10,000 sales in cookie snacks and 400 metric tons of juice products. With a strong growth trend since its entry in 2016, the brand hit annual revenue of 10 billion won ($6.9 million) in 2025, proving its strength as a “K-private brand.”

Recent success in Southeast Asia, including Laos and Thailand, adds to expectations for the expansion into Mongolia. Laos has seen an early surge in customers since opening, while Thailand stores have maintained stable operation.

“The success in Mongolia proved the competitive edge No Brand has in terms of products and consumer appeal,” said Kang Young-seok, head of overseas business at E-mart.

“We will expand our reach and strengthen our position in the Mongolian distribution market based on local partnerships.”

stlee0329@heraldcorp.com

Published Date:2026-05-07