"I couldn't even think of buying fruit".. Consumers, the reason they visited large marts despite heavy rain [Report]

[Financial News] "I couldn't even think of buying fruit because it's so expensive, but I'm glad about this event."
On the 18th, the second day of the 'Summer Agricultural and Livestock Products Discount Event' prepared in cooperation with the government and the distribution industry, Lotte Mart Grand Grocery Eunpyeong branch in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. Despite the heavy rain pouring since the morning, consumers flocked to the meat corner to find chicken to celebrate the first day of the hottest period of summer. Shopping baskets filled with seasonal fruits and vegetables were also noticeable. Although not many customers visited knowing the exact details of the event, thanks to the large banner 'Agricultural and Livestock Products Discount Support' hung at the entrance of the store, many expressed their welcome to the discount event organized by the government and companies as agricultural product prices have risen due to frequent heatwaves and monsoons. Mr. Cho, in his 40s, said, "I heard there was a discount event, but I didn't know it was ongoing now," adding, "I just came to shop and saw that there was a discount, so I added more peaches and vegetables." He laughed, saying, "The prices of agricultural products have risen a lot, probably due to the weather these days, but it's nice that the burden is reduced."
A consumer in his 70s, Mr. Seong, said, "I had no idea there was such a discount event, but apples and other fruits were definitely cheaper than usual," adding, "It's a pity I couldn't buy much because I didn't bring a shopping bag."
Lotte Mart is operating the 'Agricultural Discount Event' for a week from the 17th to the 23rd of this month. It offers up to 20% discounts to L.Point members on 15 items, including seasonal fruits and vegetables. Plums (1kg) are sold for 5,520 won, zucchini for 992 won each, and glutinous rice (2kg) for 8,720 won.
In the afternoon of the same day, Emart Sinchon branch in Mapo-gu, Seoul, was also crowded with citizens shopping. The fruit corner, displaying various seasonal fruit varieties such as peaches, grapes, and plums, was very popular. Emart is providing discounts on popular items such as watermelon, peaches, cabbage, radish, and onions during this event.
Mr. Kim, in his 60s, said, "I heard from a friend in the morning that there was a mart discount event today, so I stopped by," adding, "Fruit prices are high these days, so I couldn't reach for them in my shopping basket, but thanks to the discount, I bought peaches and plums." He added, "Although the price is higher than traditional markets, I buy fruits at the mart because of the freshness."
An Emart official said, "Although agricultural product prices have risen due to recent frequent heavy rains and heatwaves, we planned this discount event so that consumers can purchase essential summer ingredients at a lower price," adding, "We hope it will be a practical help during a time of high inflation."
The government will conduct this discount event for a total of three weeks until the 6th of next month. More than 12,000 online and offline distribution companies nationwide are participating, and discounts are automatically applied when paying at offline stores or provided in the form of coupons online. To ensure that as many people as possible benefit, a weekly discount limit of 20,000 won per person is applied. In traditional markets, a 30% discount will be applied from the 4th to the 6th of next month through the Onnuri gift certificate refund method.
A distribution industry official said, "At a time when household burdens are increasing due to rising prices, the government and distribution companies are providing practical discount benefits," adding, "We hope it will be an opportunity for consumers to shop frugally while also contributing to the consumption of domestic agricultural and livestock products." 


clean@fnnews.com Lee Jeonghwa Kim Hyunji reporter