H Mart: The Largest Asian Supermarket Chain in the United States
H Mart (Korean: H 마트 or 한아름 마트) is an American chain of Asian supermarkets operated by the Hanahreum Group, headquartered in Lyndhurst, Bergen County, New Jersey. H Mart is the largest U.S.-based grocery store chain that specializes in Asian-style products and caters to Asian-American shoppers. The chain has more than 97 stores throughout the United States, operated variously as H Mart, H Mart Northwest, and H Mart Colorado.
The following table summarizes the core company information based on the provided data:
| Native Name | 한아름 마트 |
| Company Type | Private company |
| Industry | Grocery |
| Founded | September 1982 |
| Founder | Il Yeon Kwon |
| Number of employees | 5,500 |
History and Meaning of the Name
The "H" in "H Mart" stands for the store's original name, Han Ah Reum (한아름), which means "an armful" in Korean. The H Mart chain began in 1982 in Woodside, Queens, in New York City, as a small corner grocery store. The original store was opened by Il Yeon Kwon, an immigrant from South Korea, under the name Han Ah Reum. Subsequent H Marts were operated differently from the original location, which maintained the original name and signage until it was remodeled in 2023.
Expansion in the United States
From 1982 to 1991, the company added 10 stores, mostly in the Northeastern United States. On October 19, 1998, the chain opened its current headquarters in Lyndhurst in Bergen County, New Jersey, the U.S. county with the highest Korean population percentage, at 6.9%. In 2004, the first Super H Mart opened in Duluth, Georgia. Its first West Coast location, in Federal Way, Washington, opened in April 2006. More recently, in June 2024, H Mart opened its first store in Utah, which at 100,000 square feet is the chain's largest store. On September 25, 2025, H Mart made its debut in Florida, having their grand opening in Orlando.
As of 2025, there were more than 97 H Mart stores in the United States, located in:
- New York and New Jersey
- California, Arizona, and Washington
- Texas, Florida, and Georgia
- Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania
- Massachusetts, Maryland, and Virginia
International Presence: Canada and the UK
H Mart began moving into western Canada in December 2003, with its first store in Coquitlam, British Columbia. In subsequent years, the company opened stores in Downtown Vancouver and Langley in 2006, Richmond in 2012, and Port Coquitlam in 2016. In July 2019, an H Mart opened in Edmonton, Alberta, followed by a second store in Edmonton and its first location in Calgary in 2020. As of June 21, 2024, H Mart made their entry into the French Canadian province of Quebec by acquiring 3 Jang Teu grocery stores in Montreal. Beyond North America, H Mart Europe Limited was incorporated in 2009, and in 2011, H Mart opened its first store in Europe, in the New Malden area of London.
The Shopping Experience and Product Variety
Way beyond a mere Asian grocery store, an H Mart shopping center brings everything from clothing and shoes to eateries, tea shops, coffee shops and salons ― in attached satellite suites. H Mart is truly a destination shopping experience. The vast seafood selection at H Mart cannot be beat, with scallops, shell fish and hard to find filets. The varieties of kimchi know no ends - like this zucchini kimchi. H Mart has produce you cannot find anywhere else.
Future Developments and Community Impact
New plans call for a 50 acre mixed-use development to include an estimated 16-acre shopping center — with a new H Mart as one of its core tenants in Haltom City. This figures to be a major economic boost for the Fort Worth suburb, which boasts a large Vietnamese, Laotian and Chinese population. However, beneath all the excitement is an undercurrent of worry among some local businesses. David Dang, who has operated Nguyen Loi Oriental Supermarket in Haltom City for about 30 years, fears that the Asian grocery store giant H Mart will hurt local Vietnamese markets and other small businesses that shaped the city into what it is today.
