In Korea supermarkets are a big deal, there are three major names when it comes to grocery shopping. Emart, Homeplus, and Lotte supermarket but if you are not shopping in these three places then Nobrand shopping can be your thing.
What is No Brand?
No brand is an Emart brand and was initially only available there, however, now it is launched and opened in 258 locations. Being launched in 2015, Nobrand shopping has become quite popular in the country. Not only locals but foreigners also find this place more convenient than the other supermarkets.
This brand is the smaller version of the Emart, both of these are from Shinsegae Group.
NoBrand Shopping Concept
The slogan of the store goes something like, โItโs not about the brand, itโs about the consumer.โ Their concept is simple and customers centric, their products are all private-labeled. They are made by both domestic and international manufacturers at a reasonable price.
Paldo, a big name in the CPG industry of Korea, makes the instant ramen from No Brand. Similarly, Natra Saint-รtienne, a French confectioner makes their chocolate bars.
No-brand has products of all kinds which include ready-to-eat meals, frozen foods, snacks, cleaning supplies, small electronics, cosmetics, household goods, etc.
This brand focuses more on value, quality, and quantity other than vanity. The products they sell donโt have fancy packaging but they provide the same quality as any other big brands would. This eliminates the price of fancy and costly branding and provides customers with what they want โ cheap, big volume, and high-quality products.
The Benefits of NoBrand Shopping
Simplicity and Ease of Shopping
When you go to big malls there are a lot of options to choose from, and it overwhelms the buyers. It takes more time to browse through brands upon brands of one similar product. In such stores even if you want to buy just sesame seeds you will have to decide its brand, whether you want it roasted or not, coarse grain or fine ones, and if they should be hulled or not. It confuses people and even stresses them out when they shop.
However, if you are shopping at No brand stores, you will see there are no shiny labels to confuse you just quality products with private labels. The store has everything for daily use, and its products are a selection of items that big names make but at a lesser price. It also results in reducing the stress for buying that many customers have. They can now just buy a simple and straight-forward product and save their time and money.
Ease of Navigating in the Store
Their single floor, spacious, and quite a bright interior layout make your shopping experience great. Customers feel comfortable and cozy while shopping in a place that gives off clean warehouse vibes. All the product categories are segmented into frozen foods, snacks, seafood, household goods, school or office supplies, etc.
The product branding is done in a simple way and their bright yellow signature packaging along with descriptions in Korean and in English helps customers choose easily. It is so easy to navigate through a smaller store and quickly find the products you want.
Their simple layout, different categories for different products and simple product packaging add to your comfortable shopping experience. And while you shop there is chill-wave music going on loop in the background to keep you fresh and upbeat during your shopping.
Reasonable Prices for Limited offers
People who like to be adventurous with their groceries or shopping, in general, will love this place. You can buy a limited time to offer products from No brand in a discounted price range. This helps the buyers to take risks in their shopping but not at an expensive rate.
You can buy the limited offer product and if you donโt like it you can change it the next time you are here.
Here Are Some Tips for you!
- The store closes on the 2nd and 4th Sunday, every month like all the other supermarkets.ย
- Using your Shinsegae point card, you can collect and redeem your points, the point card works well in all Shinsegae network stores.ย
- You can get a refund or exchange from the original No Brand store.ย
- There are a lot of sales that come up, and you can avail of them, especially on the clearance items.ย
- You can either bring your own bag or purchase one from the checkout stand.
In Conclusion,
Nobrand shopping experience is fun and adventurous, you should feel free to go and check out their stores. It wonโt be too hard to find one in Seoul, since they are spread throughout the city. Enjoy a comfortable shopping adventure with high-quality products at a reasonable price.
If you are in town, visit this great Instagram-able place. And know your Korean name from here.
