Hyundai Department Store Steps Up to Help Farmers and Fishermen Facing Sales Blockade, Doubling Specialty Product Gift Sets

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seung-jin] Hyundai Department Store is stepping up to help farmers and fishermen who are struggling due to blocked sales channels amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Ahead of Chuseok, they have decided to increase the quantity of regional specialty gift sets from across the country.

Hyundai Department Store announced on the 1st that during the holiday gift set sales period, which runs until the 29th, they have doubled the quantity of regional specialty gift sets compared to last year. Due to a sharp decline in tourists caused by COVID-19 and the cancellation of local festivals, unsold inventories of regional specialties have significantly increased.

First, Hyundai Department Store increased the quantity of seafood specialties such as abalone from Wando, Jeollanam-do, by about three times compared to last Chuseok. In May, Wando’s representative festival, the 'Jangbogo Seafood Festival,' was canceled due to COVID-19, and with a rapid decrease in tourists, sales of specialties like abalone have been difficult.

To support fishermen, Hyundai Department Store secured large quantities of seafood including abalone, conch, and scallops. The 'Wando Live Shellfish Set' (290,000 KRW), composed of Wando abalone, conch, and scallops, is being offered as a holiday gift set for the first time this year. They also sell the 'Premium Wild Abalone Mae (梅) Set' (650,000 KRW, 2kg), consisting of 7-8 large wild abalone, and the practical 'Value Abalone Set' (80,000 KRW, 20 pieces, 1kg), which can be delivered nationwide.

Hyundai Department Store also expanded the quantity of dried pollack gift sets from Inje, Gangwon-do, to more than double last year. In Yongdae-ri, Buk-myeon, Inje-gun, famous for dried pollack production, local residents are facing great difficulties as tourist numbers and restaurant consumption have decreased due to COVID-19. Hyundai Department Store, in cooperation with Inje County Office, offers the 'Yongdae-ri Dried Pollack Mae (梅) Set' (75,000 KRW, 10 pieces) and the 'Yongdae-ri Dried Pollack Nan (蘭) Set' (50,000 KRW, 8 pieces).

Along with this, the quantity of deodeok (Codonopsis lanceolata) gift sets from Hoengseong, Gangwon-do, has also been increased. Hyundai Department Store expanded the purchase volume of deodeok by 30% compared to last year to help local farmers facing blocked sales channels. Representative deodeok products offered during this Chuseok gift set sales period include the ‘Promise Farm King Deodeok Set’ (300,000 KRW, 2kg) made with Hoengseong king deodeok over 30cm, the ‘Hoengseong Deodeok Mae (梅) Set’ (200,000 KRW, 2kg), and the ‘Hoengseong Deodeok Value Set’ (70,000 KRW, 600g).

In addition, Hyundai Department Store is newly introducing various excellent specialty products from small and medium-sized farms in representative production areas in consultation with local governments nationwide.

Yoon Sang-kyung, head of Hyundai Department Store’s Fresh Food Team, said, "We decided to expand regional specialty gift sets to provide some help to farmers and fishermen struggling with blocked sales channels due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. We plan to actively promote the consumption of domestic agricultural, fishery, and livestock products in cooperation with local governments going forward."

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