Emart24 Cambodia to expand gas-station convenience stores to 50
Version 2: An additional Cambodian-market report from CBS NoCut News corroborates the opening date, the July exclusive operating agreement and the expansion targets already reported, with no new figures or dates.
In short
Emart24 Cambodia said it opened its first gas-station-combined convenience store on Sept. 27 at a BVM Petroleum station near National Road 2, which links the southern part of Phnom Penh. Under a July deal giving it exclusive operating rights inside BVM's gas station network, the two sides plan two more such stores this year and as many as 50 in total. Emart24 entered Cambodia in June 2024, runs 42 stores there and targets 70 by the end of the year.
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Emart24 said its Cambodian unit opened its first gas-station-combined convenience store, “Emart24 BVM Kour Srov,” on Sept. 27 at a BVM Petroleum station near National Road 2, which connects the southern part of Phnom Penh. The store is about 58 pyeong and sells tteokbokki, hot dogs and other Korean food along with drinks and snacks, the company said in announcements reported on Oct. 5. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
The company plans two more stores in the same format within the year. The format rests on a July agreement under which Emart24 holds exclusive operating rights for convenience stores inside BVM Petroleum's gas station network. Under that agreement, the two sides plan to expand the combined stores to as many as 50, the reports said. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
ZDNet Korea, Seoul Economic Daily and Maeil Business reported that the choice of gas stations reflects Cambodian travel patterns: public transport infrastructure is relatively limited, and cars and motorbikes are the main means of movement. Combining stores with accessible fuel stations would let the chain reach areas and customer groups beyond its existing city-centre shops, according to the company. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
Emart24 entered Cambodia in June 2024, which Seoul Economic Daily and Maeil Business described as the first among Korean convenience store chains. It initially concentrated stores in the capital, Phnom Penh, and this year expanded to Sihanoukville in April, Siem Reap in July and Battambang in August. The chain operates 42 stores in Cambodia and aims to reach 70 by the end of the year, it said. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
Yonhap reported that the Cambodian unit's average daily sales this year were 41% higher than in 2024. No other outlet in this set carried that figure. [ 1 ]
An Emart24 official said the company is “creating various customer contact points through cooperation with local companies in the Cambodian market,” and that it will combine BVM's gas station network with Emart24's products and operating capability to give local customers a convenient shopping experience and keep expanding the Cambodian business. Maeil Business also reported that BVM plans to use Emart24's products and convenience store operating know-how to turn its fuel stations into spaces that also offer shopping and food services. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 7 ]
Why it matters
The plan shows a Korean convenience store chain using a local energy company's fuel network to reach customers outside city-centre retail areas in a market where the company says cars and motorbikes are the main means of travel. For BVM Petroleum, the documents say the tie-up is a route to add shopping and food services to its stations. The stated targets give a measure of how far the chain intends to grow beyond its current 42 stores in Cambodia.
Key facts
- Emart24 Cambodia opened its first gas-station-combined convenience store, “Emart24 BVM Kour Srov,” on Sept. 27 at a BVM Petroleum station near National Road 2 in the southern Phnom Penh area. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- The store is about 58 pyeong in size and sells tteokbokki, hot dogs and other Korean food along with drinks and snacks. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Emart24 Cambodia plans to open two more gas-station-combined stores within the year. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- In July, Emart24 signed an agreement with Cambodian energy company BVM Petroleum giving it exclusive operating rights for convenience stores inside BVM's gas station network. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- The two companies plan to expand the combined store format to as many as 50 stores. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Emart24 entered Cambodia in June 2024, operates 42 stores there and aims to reach 70 by the end of the year. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Emart24 expanded beyond Phnom Penh this year, to Sihanoukville in April, Siem Reap in July and Battambang in August, according to the company. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Yonhap reported that Emart24's average daily sales in Cambodia this year rose 41% compared with 2024. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Emart24 Cambodia opened its first gas-station-combined convenience store on Sept. 27 at a BVM Petroleum station near National Road 2, which links the southern part of Phnom Penh. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- The store is about 58 pyeong and sells Korean food such as tteokbokki and hot dogs, plus drinks and snacks. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Emart24 and BVM Petroleum signed an agreement in July granting Emart24 exclusive operating rights for convenience stores inside BVM's gas station network. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- The companies plan two more combined stores within the year and intend to expand the format to as many as 50. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Emart24 entered the Cambodian market in June 2024, currently operates 42 stores there and targets 70 by the end of the year. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Emart24 expanded beyond Phnom Penh this year to Sihanoukville in April, Siem Reap in July and Battambang in August. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
Still unclear
- Emart24's average daily sales in Cambodia this year were 41% higher than in 2024. Only Yonhap reported this figure; no other document in this set includes it.
- BVM Petroleum's plans to use Emart24's products and operating know-how to turn its fuel stations into spaces offering shopping and food services. Only Maeil Business reported BVM's side of the plan; the other documents describe the expansion from Emart24's perspective.
- A deadline for reaching 50 gas-station-combined stores. The documents state the 50-store target but give no date by which it is to be met.
- Additional detail from Newsis beyond its headline about the Cambodia expansion. The Newsis headline concerns the Emart24 Cambodia expansion, but the article text carried with it was about a separate DMZ mine incident, so no further detail was drawn from that outlet.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports the first gas-station-combined store opened on Sept. 27 and that the chain plans to expand the format to 50 stores, citing 41% growth in average daily sales. [ 1 ]
- Newsis publishes a headline saying Emart24 is accelerating store openings in Cambodia by combining convenience stores with BVM gas stations; its article text concerns a separate incident. [ 2 ]
- ZDNet Korea reports the store's location on National Road 2 and the chain's entry into Sihanoukville, Siem Reap and Battambang this year. [ 3 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily reports the store opening and the plan to grow the combined format to 50 stores and Cambodian stores overall to 70 by year-end. [ 4 ]
- Maeil Business reports BVM's plan to turn its gas stations into spaces offering shopping and food services alongside the Emart24 expansion. [ 5 ]
- Maeil Business publishes a photo item on the Emart24 store at a Cambodian gas station. [ 6 ]
- CBS NoCut News summarises the Sept. 27 opening, the July exclusive operating agreement and the targets of two more stores this year, 50 combined stores and 70 stores overall. [ 7 ]