CHERRY HILL, N.J. – One of the fastest growing grocers in the U.S. is H Mart, a Korean and Asian supermarket. It will open a rebuilt prototype store on April 23.
“We are excited to reopen our newly renovated Cherry Hill location and bring our passion for Asian food culture to the community,” said H Mart President Brian Kwon, in a news release. “We look forward to welcoming everyone back and sharing our appreciation of Asian food culture with the Cherry Hill community.”
The newly renovated store at 1720 NJ-70, Cherry Hill Township is designed as a comprehensive shopping destination, featuring fresh produce, high-quality meats and seafood, pantry essentials, frozen items, and health and beauty products. Whenever possible, H Mart works directly with local farms and suppliers to deliver a broad and fresh assortment.
Beyond its groceries, the store location will also include a food hall. The company says the space is intended to blend retail with cultural and culinary experiences, creating a community-focused environment for shoppers and diners alike.
The food hall will include Kyodong Noodles, a Korean-style Chinese noodle restaurant; Daily Seoul, a Korean lifestyle food brand; Mirim, a traditional Korean restaurant; The Dak, a Korean fried chicken concept; Dduk Dabang, a Korean street food brand; and Tiger Sugar, a Taiwanese bubble tea brand.
In the late 1970s, Il Yeon Kwon, the son of a farmer, left South Korea’s war-stricken countryside for New York at a time when Asian Americans made up just 1.5% of the U.S. population, according to The New York Times. Settling in Woodside, Queens, he opened a small grocery store called Han Ah Reum—a Korean phrase that translates roughly to “an armful of groceries,” while also carrying a sense of warmth and generosity.
The company has also taken a bold strategy ignored by other traditional supermarkets; its expansion has gone overseas, in the U.K. and Canada. Instead of blanketing these countries with stores, it has picked a couple of select locations, and run them as small businesses, under the brand.
H Mart has grown to more than 100 stores across 18 states, as well as five warehouse and processing facilities. The largest H Mart is in Orlando, but there are also stores in Canada in British Columbia and Ontario. There are also locations in Britain, including New Malden, London.
