H Mart is the largest Korean-Asian supermarket chain in North America. It started as a small grocery store in Woodside, Queens, New York in 1982, and now operates around 110 stores across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Its logistics network includes large refrigerated and frozen warehouses in Linden, New Jersey, Los Angeles, California, and Houston, Texas, distributing containers imported directly from East and West Coast ports to each store using its own truck fleet. This allows for fresh refrigerated products manufactured in Korea to be displayed with an average lead time of about two weeks.

Founded by Chairman Kwon Il-yeon with the goal of providing hometown food conveniently to Korean immigrants, it has now grown into a 'global food market' targeting multicultural consumers. Its expansion strategy shows a pattern of forming clusters in existing locations to secure logistics efficiency before moving to adjacent cities.

Representative areas include the New York-New Jersey region, California's LA-Orange County, Washington DC Metro, Chicago, Atlanta, and Houston, with recent expansions into Austin, Dallas, Delaware, and New Malden in London, UK. In Texas, large projects are underway in Austin and DFW following Houston, while San Antonio and El Paso are under medium to long-term review.

Store types are roughly divided into two categories. One is a large store format of 60,000 to 100,000 square feet, featuring fresh food, groceries, household items, an instant food court, a bakery, and K-beauty shops in a full-size format. The other is a smaller format of around 30,000 square feet, such as 'H Mart Everyday' or 'H Mart Express', which quickly opens in urban centers or densely populated suburban areas to serve as a hub.

H Mart is pursuing a strategy beyond simple grocery sales, aiming to be a 'Korean food culture hub'. It strengthens community ties by sponsoring cooking demos, K-pop events, Lunar New Year and Chuseok celebrations, and local Korean Association and university Korean food events to build a loyal customer base. Recently, it has also invested in online shopping services and the development of ready-to-eat meals (HMR), starting pilot operations of a delivery-only logistics hub called 'MFC' (Micro Fulfillment Center).

Both formats prominently feature their own private label products called 'e plus' and directly imported products from famous Korean brands to secure price competitiveness.

In summary, the possibility of H Mart opening in San Antonio can be seen as 'conditionally open'.

Current Status of H Mart's Expansion in Texas

• Several stores are already operating or under construction in Houston, Austin, and DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth).

• By the end of 2025, two large projects in North Texas must be completed before discussions on the next candidate locations can take place.

Market Conditions in San Antonio

• The Asian population accounts for about 3%, which is lower than in Austin and Houston, but is steadily increasing. The Korean population is estimated to be between 6,000 and 7,000.
  

• Thanks to UTSA, medical centers, and research complexes, the number of high-income AAPI households in the northwestern region is rapidly increasing.

• Logistics conditions are favorable as products can be transported the same day from Austin's warehouses or Houston's ports via I-35 and I-10.

Positive and Negative Factors

• Positive: Existing Texas logistics network, relatively low land and rental costs, and a clear growth trend in Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese restaurant clusters.

• Negative: The Korean and Asian populations are small relative to the city's size, and local distribution giants like H-E-B are expanding their premium Asian food sections.

Possibility Scenarios

• After 2026, there is a possibility of starting market research in San Antonio after analyzing the performance of new stores in North Texas.

• Instead of a large store, a smaller format like 'H Mart Everyday' may open first.

• Locations being considered include the Medical Center-UTSA area, around Stone Oak-Bulverde Road, and the Alamo Quarry redevelopment site.