EHC has set out to expand its urban stores in the Seoul metropolitan area. 'ACE Hardware,' the home interior and building-materials specialty store operated by EHC, opened its 4th location, the Ilsan store, on December 14.
The 'ACE Hardware Ilsan Store,' the company's first in Gyeonggi Province, is located in a single-story ground-floor building in Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang-si, with a sales area of 1,035㎡ (about 313 pyeong). Situated within a 2-minute walk of Ilsan Station, it offers excellent accessibility by public transit, and a spacious parking lot makes for convenient shopping.
The ACE Hardware Ilsan store carries some 40,000 products across more than 10 diverse categories, including building and interior materials, tools, lighting, and household goods. Taking into account the characteristics of the surrounding area, such as furniture complexes and weekend farms, the store has strengthened categories such as lumber, gardening, furniture hardware, and tools.
Also drawing attention are the curation that offers products suited to local target customers and the efficient shopping space that reflects product characteristics and shopping flow. Reflecting local traits such as a high proportion of owner-occupied apartments and a large share of 3-to-4-person households, the store has expanded its DIY interior products. In the case of bulky building materials such as paint and wallpaper, products are placed in the corner closest to the road for quick and convenient transport.
The company also plans to strengthen its 'ACE Man Service,' which matches general customers with interior-business customers when professional installation and construction are required. It plans to expand the service by actively identifying single-item interior installation products such as entrance middle doors, insect screens, and partial bathroom construction.
The ACE Man Service is expected to contribute to income and job creation not only for the Ilsan store's new PRO customers but also for local interior businesses. General customers can use construction services easily and conveniently, and the company expects the service to establish itself as a desirable cooperation model built on coexistence and mutual growth.
EHC said, "We have expanded and begun operating stores in the metropolitan area to spread an advanced home-improvement culture in which anyone can easily enjoy DIY interior work," adding, "We plan to establish these stores as places that offer customers new experiences while sharing mutual growth with local interior businesses."
Meanwhile, since opening its 1st store in Geumcheon in 2018, ACE Hardware went on to open the Mokdong store in September 2018 and the Yongsan store in March last year. Most recently, it opened a pop-up store at the Hyundai Department Store KINTEX branch, which it plans to operate through this coming March.