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| CEO Zahid Hussain sits in front of CEO Noman Rao, and two interns. / Courtesy of Shejang |
Three entrepreneurs from three different countries set out to change the way foreign residents shop for groceries here in Korea and provide a sense of home while doing it. The startup, called Shejang, is now the largest online international grocery marketplace in Korea, and everyone including vegans and Muslims will be able to find food they can eat.
"Being foreigners ourselves," said co-founder Robin Sheeraji, "we feel what the other 3.5 million foreigners feel in Korea and that is why our core value is to make foreigners' lives easier."
Co-founder Zahid Hussain added, "Our site primarily caters to foreigners living in or traveling to Korea and secondarily to Koreans. The reason behind the decision is to solve two issues foreigners are facing in Korea in terms of food and groceries. First, grocery products from other countries are not very easily available, especially online in Korea. And secondly, even if available, there is a language barrier for most of the foreigners."
All three founders ―Sheeraji from Bangladesh and Hussain and Noman Rao from Pakistan ― had similar experiences in terms of food when they first arrived. It was tough to find certain food products they recognized and could eat.
Sheeraji realized that not only he but other foreigners around him were having the same issues finding food and ultimately started Foreign Food Mart, the country's first international grocery store, first in Ansan and later in Itaewon in the 1990s. The market grew quickly and became the place to go for any of those tastes of home for much of the foreign population of Seoul.
Hussain arrived through the Government Scholarship Program in 2008 and noticed that he and the other students in the program were suffering similarly. After graduating from Korean University and then the Sungkyunkwan Graduate School of Business (SKK GSB), he began to work in the Korean entertainment industry to raise his voice concerning issues with food for those with religious dietary restrictions. He even works closely with the Korea Tourism Organization as a mentor to assist with international and Korean halal food education and awareness. For him, this is a further push into presenting more options for foreigners who are here or coming here.
Shejang has a huge variety of international grocery products, including pasta, sauces, salsas, lamb, as well as a great collection of cheeses from Europe and the Middle East. Shejang also offers some unique products like jalebi, barfi, hummus and falafel. On top of that, it has a large selection of halal products and a wide variety of international vegan products.
Rao, a chemical engineer who graduated from KAIST and POSTECH, had a lot to do with that. "Climate change has become one of the biggest issues of our time and being a chemical engineer, I have a huge interest in vegan culture," he explained, adding that the company is very much aware of the environment and its carbon footprint and seeks to recycle boxes wherever possible and try to minimize the use of packaging and ice boxes.
The products can be delivered the next day to one's doorstep. "Expats now don't need to visit far-away marts, hold heavy grocery bags while walking or taking the subway or bus home," Hussain said.
The foreign entrepreneurs behind Shejang had two major objectives when they started this venture ― to make life more convenient for fellow foreign residents and to provide a feeling of home ― and they are accomplishing that.
For the Seoul and Gyeonggi region, Shejang has a complete cold chain dawn delivery service. Products are delivered in freezer trucks before 7 a.m. For other regions including Jeju Island, delivery is available within 24 hours. Visit shejang.com to find out more about their products.
Hallie Bradley is a writer based in Seoul and runs the popular site?thesoulofseoul.net.
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