Major South Korean discount chain Homeplus has been speeding up its move to open more big-box and retail hybrid stores here, to strengthen its sales and enhance competitiveness.

Homeplus said Tuesday that it has seen outstanding sales growth from its Homeplus Special stores, which sell products in bulk and also offer individually packaged food and other goods like those found in grocery stores.

The company has been converting its outlets into Homeplus Special stores since opening its first store in Daegu in June. As of August, six Homeplus outlets have been converted to Homeplus Special stores. 

Staff at Homeplus Special stores do not need to constantly replace products on shelves, as items are placed in large containers. The company said this reduces the amount of time spent restocking by 90 percent.

The retailer said it plans to convert 15 to 20 branches into Homeplus Special stores this year.

The Homeplus Special stores are the biggest project so far by Homeplus CEO Lim Il-soon, who took over leadership of the company last year. 

“With rapidly changing trends in the retail industry, Homeplus will continue to provide a better shopping experience for shoppers by analyzing shopping patterns,” said Lim in a statement.

(ddd@heraldcorp.com)