"Finally Feels Like Homeplus": Crowded With Shoppers, Radiant With Staff on Reopening Day

"A tray of eggs for 4,900 won, green onions for 2,900 won, pork shoulder for 8,000 won—I bought them cheap."

Kim, a 54-year-old housewife from Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, who met with reporters at the Homeplus Yuseong branch on the morning of the 13th, said, "I heard there were big discounts to celebrate the reopening, so I came out to shop as soon as they opened, and it's great as expected. It finally feels like Homeplus."

On its reopening day, customer vehicles poured endlessly into the Yuseong branch starting from its opening time at 10:00 a.m.

So many crowds flocked in that within less than an hour, the first- and second-floor parking lots were completely filled.

The inside of the store was also filled with a lively atmosphere, making the recent suspension of operations and threats of closure a distant memory.

The staff, greeting customers after a long hiatus, were also working harder than ever to serve them.

The meat display shelves, which during the threat of closure had been eerily occupied by out-of-place non-grocery items like frying pans, were now fully stocked with bright red, fresh beef and pork.

Produce shelves featuring watermelons, grapes, bananas, green onions, and potatoes were also neatly arranged, "tempting" consumers' wallets.

Particularly to celebrate the reopening, the meat section held a 50 percent discount event across all items, including Hanwoo (Korean beef) and handon (Korean pork). The meat sold out almost as soon as it was put out, leading to long lines of customers waiting to make purchases who had missed out.

Whenever fresh batches of meat came out, 40 to 50 customers rushed in at once, reminiscent of an "open run."

Ahn, a 62-year-old resident of Seo-gu, Daejeon, who bought Hanwoo sirloin worth 26,000 won at half price, smiled and said, "I'm currently standing in line for 20 minutes to buy pork as well."

Kim, a 27-year-old also from Seo-gu, Daejeon, stated, "I bought two packs of Hanwoo rib meat and chuck flap tail, and I think I made a good purchase. I used to frequent Homeplus because of its good product quality and reasonable prices. I'm satisfied that it's open again."


Earlier in early July, when it faced the crisis of suspended operations, the refrigerated display cases had no products to show, awkwardly holding only frying pans, mugs, and various utensils. However, for today's reopening, a significant portion of various foods and products had returned to their rightful places.

While the seafood section, which had barely managed its lineup with dried filefish jerky and fish jerky, still had many empty spots, live abalone and other seafood were placed back on one side of the shelves to prepare for welcoming customers.

Staff members were also busy moving back and forth through the store, working up a sweat as they filled empty shelves with dairy products, eggs, and more.

With customers pouring in after a long time, tenant store owners also wore broad smiles as they served customers.

Although empty spaces remained here and there due to many businesses having already withdrawn, the remaining stores appeared to greet their reopening day with vigor.

Homeplus reopened 67 stores nationwide starting today, including the Daejeon Yuseong branch, which had gone into temporary closure.

An official from the Homeplus Yuseong branch stated, "We will do our best to sell high-quality goods at low prices and ensure the convenience of the customers who visit us. Regarding the empty spaces in various areas, we understand that the headquarters is currently proceeding with contract renewals and new contracts."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.