Convenience Store Owners Association: "Government Should Include Convenience Stores as Official Mask Sellers"

It does not align with the purpose of ensuring stable mask supply for consumers

Designating only pharmacies as official sales outlets contradicts the purpose of the measure

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] On the 26th, the convenience store industry demanded, "Please include convenience stores as official sales outlets for masks secured through public supply." The government decided the day before to allocate more than 50% of masks produced domestically on the same day to official sales outlets, and announced that masks secured through public supply would be sold at Nonghyup, post offices, pharmacies, and convenience stores. However, convenience stores were excluded from mask sales outlets just one day later.

The Korea Convenience Store Owners Association pointed out in a press release that day, "Excluding convenience stores, which have excellent accessibility and perform certain public functions such as selling over-the-counter medicines, does not align with the purpose of ensuring stable mask supply for consumers." They also expressed concern that "if people gather at official sales outlets such as the Korea Post, Nonghyup Central Association, Hanaro Mart, Public Home Shopping, and the Small and Medium Business Distribution Center, the risk of COVID-19 transmission may increase."

They particularly argued that designating only pharmacies among general sales outlets as official sales outlets "greatly contradicts the purpose of the measure." This is because it causes inconvenience by forcing people to find pharmacies that operate even on weekends and travel long distances to reach them. They also mentioned that concentrating mask supplies, which were supposed to be delivered to small business owners, into general sales outlets like pharmacies is a disregard for ordinary small business owners.

As a solution, the Korea Convenience Store Owners Association suggested, "Public distribution networks such as post offices and Nonghyup Hanaro Mart should cover remote and isolated areas, while urbanized areas should be served by private distribution networks such as convenience stores." They added, "Convenience stores have the best accessibility for the public and will greatly improve the inconvenience faced by citizens trying to purchase masks."

Masks will be specially supplied with 1 million units prioritized for the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions. Starting from the 27th, 1.5 million units will be supplied daily through pharmacies, and 2 million units through post offices, Nonghyup, and others, totaling 3.5 million units per day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.