Emart Introduces Half-Price Tuna Sashimi

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Emart is launching a large-scale half-price tuna sashimi event to revitalize tuna sales, which have sharply declined due to decreased exports and sluggish domestic demand.

From the 27th to the 2nd of next month, Emart will sell two types of "Half-Price Challenge Tuna Assorted Sashimi / Tuna Belly" at 13,900 KRW and 16,900 KRW respectively for one week. These prices are 30-50% cheaper compared to the regular selling price.

The "Half-Price Challenge Tuna Assorted Sashimi" consists of 120g of tuna belly, the most popular part of the premium species bigeye tuna, and 240g of akami (lean meat). The "Half-Price Challenge Tuna Belly" is composed of 240g of the premium tuna belly.

Emart has prepared about 30 tons of tuna for this event. This quantity accounts for approximately 10% of Emart's annual tuna sales volume.

The reason Emart is offering half-price tuna sashimi is that tuna exports have significantly decreased this year due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

According to the Korea Customs Service, tuna export value from January to July this year was about 106.71 million USD, a 27.3% decrease compared to the same period last year. Compared to two years ago in 2018, the decrease is even larger at -32.7%. In particular, in April, the export amount dropped by a staggering 53.2% compared to the previous year.

The decline in domestic consumption due to sluggish demand also greatly affected the decrease in tuna demand. As consumers avoid dining out and workplace gatherings are restrained, consumption in the dining industry, which accounts for a large portion of tuna consumption such as tuna specialty restaurants, has sharply declined.

Choi Gwanyong, Emart's seafood buyer, said, "We planned the half-price tuna sashimi to revitalize tuna consumption, which has sharply declined due to export sluggishness and domestic recession. This is an opportunity to enjoy high-quality tuna sashimi, considered a premium species, at an affordable price."

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