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Despite exclusion, major retailers launch sales with foot traffic expected to spike

Published: 28 Jul. 2025, 19:45 Updated: 29 Jul. 2025, 10:59

A notice about consumer coupon usage at large supermarkets is seen at a supermarket branch in Seoul on July 28. While large supermarket chains are ineligible for consumer voucher usage, customers can use the coupons at tenant-leased branches of such chains. [NEWS1]

The three major supermarket chains in Korea are expanding discount events with unprecedentedly low prices as they attempt to attract more customers after being excluded from the government’s latest consumer voucher program.

Emart will host its biggest monthly discount event, the "Goraeit Festa," from Tuesday to Sunday. Items such as samgyeopsal (pork belly), toilet paper and eggs will be offered at up to 60 percent off.

With a designated credit card, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of imported refrigerated samgyeopsal and pork shoulder will be sold for 788 won (60 cents). Watermelons under 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) will be available at half price for 15,450 won, and extra-large abalones at 100 grams will go for about 2,900 won, a 60 percent discount.

A 30-roll pack of toilet paper will be sold for 8,980 won at 40 percent off, and first-grade Korean beef sirloin at 100 grams will be half price at 5,490 won. A pack of 30 large eggs will be offered for 5,980 won — 25 percent off — on Friday only.

Ready-to-eat cold noodles and frozen pizzas will be priced in the 2,000 won range. Emart will also offer bundle discounts on processed foods: 9,900 won for three packets of ramyeon, 4,980 won for five bundles of cup noodles, 3,900 won to 10 ice cream items, and 9,900 won for five snack products.

A promotional poster for Emart's monthly discount event, the Goraeit Festa [EMART]

Lotte Mart and Homeplus have also launched aggressive promotional campaigns. Lotte Mart is continuing a promotion event that began last Thursday for two weeks. The event highlights items such as Korean beef, abalone, king crab, peaches and shine muscat grapes at up to 50 percent off.

Lotte Mart is also holding a separate event for around 20 processed food items under its private label, offering up to 25 percent discounts over a three-month period.

Homeplus, through its Homeplus Run Now event running through Wednesday, is selling popular food products — including beef, whole chickens, sushi and tofu — at discounted prices.

Lotte Mart offers items such as Korean beef, abalone, king crab, peaches and shine muscat at up to 50 percent off [LOTTE MART]

Industry observers attribute the surge in supermarket promotions to the release of government consumer vouchers on July 21. While the vouchers cannot be used within the large chain store and only at tenant-run stores in large marts — such as restaurants, cafes, opticians and pharmacies — they are still expected to draw traffic into the stores.

“Because vouchers can still be used at some leased shops in the marts, they might help bring in customers,” a large mart chain official said. “Discount marketing will intensify to encourage additional purchases.”

Analysts also point to the lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic. During the first round of emergency relief payments in May and June 2020, supermarket sales dropped 9.7 percent and 5.3 percent month-on-month, respectively. Sales also fell 13.3 percent when additional payments were distributed in September 2021.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HWANG SOO-YEON [[email protected]]