(SM Ent.)

SM Entertainment is planning to open a convenience store chain, according to anonymous insiders in the industry.

SM, the largest celebrity agency in Korea, has allegedly decided to create a franchise convenience store named Sum Market. The market will sell K-pop-related content along with drinks and snacks.

At the moment, SM is operating the Sum Gift Shop, which sells souvenirs related to various K-pop artists. However, the company wishes to increase a further range of goods, to include food and drinks.

Some of the products to be sold at the Sum market are Super Junior nuts, EXO seaweed snacks and Girl‘s Generation wines.

(OSEN)

The extension work has been done under a collaboration project between SM entertainment and retailer SSG. Local media outlets suggest the partnership stemmed from the close relationship between the firms’ CEOs.

The project has been in the works since December. The first Sum market is set to open next month at the SM Entertainment office building.

By Kim Ji-young (christinekim@heraldcorp.com)