Jeonnam Province Seafood Sales Soar Despite COVID-19 Challenges

Non-face-to-face Customized Policies... Achieving 8.7 Billion KRW in Sales

Banner of 'Namdo Jangteo,' an online shopping mall operated by Jeonnam Province.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] It has been revealed that seafood sales in Jeollanam-do recorded a sharp increase in sales despite the crisis of COVID-19.

On the 3rd, Jeonnam Province announced that this Chuseok holiday, instead of visiting hometowns, demand for gifting health led to a surge in seafood gift sales, achieving sales of 8.7 billion KRW this year through untact promotions and customized policies.

In line with the non-face-to-face social atmosphere in the COVID-19 era, Jeonnam Province held seafood tasting sessions and discount events for Jeonnam government officials starting in March. A seafood drive-thru promotion jointly conducted by the public and private sectors achieved sales of 950 million KRW, significantly contributing to the total sales.

In particular, at Namdo Market operated by Jeonnam Province, as of the 4th, seafood sales amounted to 4.4 billion KRW out of 20 billion KRW in agricultural, fishery, and livestock products, increasing tenfold compared to the same period last year. The proportion of seafood in total sales rose from 8% last year to 22%, showing a sharp increase in sales during the COVID era.

Additionally, seafood promotion was conducted through popular TV programs such as SBS's "Delicious Plaza" and KBS's "Convenience Restaurant." New products related to Jeonnam seafood were launched on the broadcasts, achieving sales of 1.2 billion KRW, and new recipes introduced have led to nationwide sales and inquiries.

Customized market expansion measures were also prepared for seafood with sluggish consumption. For representative items such as flatfish (Gwang-eo), rockfish, and abalone, the province signed a business agreement with GS Retail Co., Ltd., which handles 150 billion KRW worth of Jeonnam agricultural, fishery, and livestock products. Through this, sales of 2.1 billion KRW have been achieved so far via raw material supply and seafood planning exhibitions.

Along with this, seafood home meal replacements (HMR) are also being developed. This is due to the recent increase in home dining caused by social distancing, making HMR popular mainly on various online malls.

Jeonnam Province is preparing the project in cooperation with large distribution companies to enable online sales simultaneously with the launch.

Wi Gwanghwan, Director of the Jeollanam-do Marine and Fisheries Bureau, said, “Due to the spread of COVID-19, seafood consumption and exports have decreased, causing management difficulties for fishermen. We plan to focus on building new sales channels for various seafood promotions in the future.”

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