EMART is an Asian food importer and distributor based in Christchurch, describing itself as the biggest Asian food importer and distributor in the South Island of New Zealand. The company works with a network of suppliers including its self-described 'Top 21 Korean Food Brands,' and states it receives more than 300 containers of stock every year to keep that supply flowing.
The business traces its roots back to 1994, when it started as Food Korea, an importer and distributor. It rebranded to Emart Co. Limited in 2005, and in 2006 opened Kosco, which now operates as 9 branches. In 2020 the company moved into supplying Foodstuffs, and by 2022 counted Nongshim among its brand relationships.
EMART describes its mission as operating sustainably, looking after its staff, and providing the best service and product range to its multi-cultural customer base — built on stated values of accountability and honesty, teamwork, commitment to customers, and diversity. The company says it's proud of how many New Zealanders have come to appreciate the value of Asian cuisine, and wants to keep building on that.
Tucked away on Foremans Road in the Islington industrial area of Christchurch, EMART runs what it describes as the biggest Asian food import and distribution operation in New Zealand's South Island. It's not a shopfront in the traditional sense — it's the supply chain behind a lot of the Asian grocery and restaurant stock that reaches the South Island — but its history and scale tell the story of how Asian food went from niche to mainstream in New Zealand.
The business started in 1994 as Food Korea, an importer and distributor focused on bringing Korean food products into New Zealand. In 2005, the company rebranded to Emart Co. Limited, and the following year, in 2006, it opened Kosco — a retail arm that has since grown to 9 operating branches. The growth didn't stop there: in 2020, EMART moved into supplying Foodstuffs, one of New Zealand's major grocery groups, and by 2022 counted Nongshim, one of Korea's best-known food brands, among its supplier relationships.
EMART says it works with a roster it calls its 'Top 21 Korean Food Brands,' and receives more than 300 shipping containers of product every year to keep that pipeline moving. That's the kind of volume it takes to stock not just its own retail arm, but wholesale customers and grocery partners across the South Island.
EMART frames its mission around operating sustainably, looking after its staff, and providing the best service and product range to its multi-cultural customer base. The company says it's proud that so many New Zealanders have come to appreciate the value of Asian cuisine, and sees its role as helping solidify and expand that appreciation. Four stated values underpin how the business says it operates: accountability and honesty, teamwork, commitment to customers, and diversity.
EMART is based at 21 Foremans Road, Islington, Christchurch 8042, and keeps standard weekday business hours, Monday to Friday, 7:15am to 4:45pm. Orders and general enquiries can go to the company by phone or by email, split between an orders address and an admin address, reflecting a business built around bulk supply and account relationships rather than walk-in retail.