HMart to open new store in New Jersey on Friday

Leading Asian grocer HMart will open its newest location in New Jersey next Friday, increasing its store count in the state to nine, according to the Lyndhurst, New Jersey-based specialty grocer’s website.

H Mart’s newest location will open on level 1 of the American Dream mall at 1 American Dream Way in East Rutherford, New Jersey, about 12 miles from New York City. The grand opening will begin at 11 a.m. on Feb. 17.

At the opening, HMart smart card members will receive a free gift while supplies last. New and existing smart card members with a valid email address will also receive a free thermos mug and HMart 2023 calendar.

Heralded on its website as a “one-stop-shop for everything Asian” in grocery, shoppers can also experience dining options from the store’s mega food hall.

In celebration of the grand opening, HMart will host a series of cultural events including a special performance of Korean percussion music and a Chinese lion dance.

A special attraction for kids will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 18-19, which will include face painting and other activities, according to the grocer’s website.

Growth for HMart will continue on the East Coast as the grocery chain is planning to open on the Upper East Side of New York City, as reported by the RealDeal. Located between Second and Third avenues, the store’s 223 E. 86th Street location will add to the grocer’s growing presence in New York, which currently includes 12 HMart locations.

HMart is also eyeing growth in the Midwest as it readies to expand outside the Chicago area for its next Illinois location, as first reported by the Korea Times Chicago. The new store will be located at 220 N. Broadway Ave., less than two miles from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus in Urbana, Illinois.

HMart currently has five stores  in the Chicago area, according to the Asian specialty grocer’s website and is looking to open the Urbana location later this year, according to the Korean newspaper.

Established in New York in 1982 as Han Ah Reum (a Korean phrase meaning “arm full of groceries”), HMart now operates over 70 stores in 14 stores across the U.S.