Emart Hosts Yeosu Seafood Promotion Event... Ddaksseu and Kkomak Sold at Lowest Prices

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Emart announced on the 10th that from the 11th to the 17th, it will hold a promotion event for Yeo-su's representative specialties, namely red shrimp (Gashibalsaeu) and cockles, to boost sales of seafood products in Yeo-su, which has been struggling due to a sharp decline in tourists.

Red shrimp are not farmed, have low catch volumes, and are about 1.5 times more expensive than the popular whiteleg shrimp, so they have rarely been consumed in ordinary households. This is also the first time Emart is selling red shrimp.

The reason Emart planned this seafood sales promotion event for Yeo-su is that local seafood products have been hit hard by sales declines due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). According to Yeo-su City, the number of tourists visiting Yeo-su from January to May this year decreased by about 50% compared to the same period last year. Consequently, sales of Yeo-su's representative seafood products such as red shrimp and cockles also dropped by about 30% compared to the same period last year.

Accordingly, to promote consumption of Yeo-su seafood, Emart is selling ‘Yeo-su cleaned red shrimp’ at about 30% cheaper than the market price, at 1,980 KRW per 100g, and ‘Yeo-su cockles (1kg)’ at 4,980 KRW, about 37% off the original price of 7,980 KRW. In March, when red shrimp prices fell by about 30% due to COVID-19, Emart purchased about 20 tons of red shrimp, enabling them to offer it at a price lower than the market.

The cleaned red shrimp offered by Emart is characterized by having the tail shell removed instead of the head, unlike the cleaned red shrimp sold in the market. Leaving the head part makes it suitable for soup stock, and removing the tail shell, where the shrimp meat is concentrated, makes it easy to eat grilled with butter or steamed.

Regarding cockles, Emart partnered with Yeo-su fishermen to purchase 40 tons of cockles at once, lowering unit costs and minimizing distribution margins, making it possible to sell cockles at the lowest price of the year.

Moon Bu-seong, Emart's seafood buyer, said, “Due to the impact of the coronavirus, demand for Yeo-su red shrimp and cockles has greatly decreased, so we purchased them in large quantities to launch this event. The price is more than 30% cheaper than usual, so we expect consumers to feel significant price benefits.”

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