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Homeplus, which had faced the brink of bankruptcy, has resumed operations after ending its temporary suspension. A massive discount event drew a steady stream of customers.
Reporting by reporter Choi Seung-hun.
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[Please move slowly. Just go slowly. Slowly.]
At 10 a.m., as business begins, customers who were waiting in front of the store rush in pushing their shopping carts.
The half-price Hanwoo beef display stands are packed with no room to spare, and the initial stock sells out in less than five minutes.
Half-price red bean bread is also sold out in an instant, forming a long line of people waiting for a fresh batch.
[Park Cheon-woong / Yangcheon-gu, Seoul: I came to buy some because I heard they are selling delicious bread cheaply today. If I leave my spot empty here, my wife might yell at me...]
The number of Homeplus stores officially reopening is 67.
Homeplus, currently undergoing corporate rehabilitation procedures, temporarily suspended operations last month due to a cash crunch, but reopened after securing 200 billion won in emergency operating funds.
Homeplus has set out to win back customers through deep-discount events.
[Hwang Ye-won / Gangseo-gu, Seoul: It's right in front of my house so I always came here, but it was always so inconvenient not having a place to buy groceries...]
[Lee Jeong-shin / Gangseo-gu, Seoul: My heart ached so much when I thought it was disappearing. I am so glad and full of gratitude that it opened again like this today.]
In-store vendors could not hide their expectations at the return of customers.
[Son Jong-wook / Homeplus tenant business owner: Now that it's open, a lot more customers are coming and buying things. As long as they keep the doors open, sales should continue to go well.]
The fate of Homeplus is expected to face its biggest turning point at a creditors' meeting scheduled for September 2.
It is the day when stakeholders, including creditors and shareholders, gather to decide whether to approve the rehabilitation plan submitted by Homeplus.
Since the stakeholders' initial acceptance is crucial for the rehabilitation court's deliberation, the key until then will be to retain customers and restore suppliers' trust to normalize product supply.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
(Video reporting: Kim Hak-mo, Video editing: Jeong Yong-hwa)
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