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Emart24 signs franchise deal with Kolao Group to enter Laos market

Published: 28 Sep. 2025, 17:58

Officials from Emart24 and Kolao pose for photos after signing an agreement on a master franchise deal to open the Korean convenience store franchise in Laos on Sept. 25. [EMART24]

Emart24 signed a master franchise agreement with Kolao Group to expand its convenience store business in Laos, the company said Sunday.

A master franchise allows a local company to operate a franchise business on behalf of the franchisor, selling franchise rights to individual store operators. Instead of entering a market directly, the franchisor delegates local operations to the master franchisee.

Kolao Group, a private company founded by Korean entrepreneur Oh Sei-young, currently operates in Laos. Under the agreement, around 50 existing Kok Kok Mini stores operated by Kolao will be gradually converted into Emart24 locations. New stores will also be opened.

With a population of 7.5 million, Laos has relatively few small-scale retail channels, giving convenience stores strong growth potential. Steady economic development has also led to consistent increases in per capita food consumption. A strong interest in Korean culture further supports Emart24’s expansion prospects in the market.

Emart24 has been actively expanding overseas, launching its first store in Malaysia in 2021, followed by Cambodia in 2024 and India last month.

"With this Laos agreement, Emart24 becomes the first convenience store brand to enter the market following Cambodia and India," said Emart24 CEO Choi Jin-il. "We will work closely with our local partner Kolao Group to ensure the brand successfully establishes itself in Laos."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KANG KI-HEON [[email protected]]