Giving Christmas Gifts with Small Business Products Chosen by the People

'2020 Christmas Market' Held Mainly Online and Non-Face-to-Face

On the 7th, Kang Sung-cheon, Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, is giving a briefing on the promotion of the Christmas Market at the Government Seoul Office.

The detailed plan for the '2020 Christmas Market' event, where Christmas gifts can be purchased from products made by small business owners who have faced difficulties due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) this year, has been finalized. During the national selection process for small business products as Christmas gifts for this event, a firefighter support bracelet made by recycling the turnout gear actually worn by firefighters was selected as the number one item, drawing significant attention.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Park Young-sun, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry) announced on the 7th, at the '22nd Emergency Economic Central Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting,' the plan to promote the '2020 Christmas Market' to be held from the 19th to the 27th of this month. This market is a large-scale discount and promotional event targeting the Christmas consumption week, involving about 30 online platforms, 300 traditional markets, 2,500 neighborhood supermarkets, and approximately 12,000 small business owners and SMEs, aimed at revitalizing consumption that has been depressed due to COVID-19. Although consumer sentiment and business activities had been gradually recovering until recently, the resurgence of COVID-19 has intensified difficulties for small business owners and SMEs. In response, the Ministry plans to operate the Christmas Market as part of a domestic demand activation campaign to support small business owners. Additionally, considering the increasing cases of small business owners expanding their online sales, the Ministry intends for the Christmas Market to serve as an opportunity to accelerate the 'digital transformation of small business owners.'

This year's 'Christmas Market (K-MAS) Live Market' will be operated mainly online and non-face-to-face, and to build pre-event momentum and encourage public participation, a total of 101 products suitable as Christmas gifts were carefully selected through online voting. Products participating in the market will be broadcast and sold through about 50 special live commerce sales events offering discounts of up to 50%. The 'Christmas Unique Planning Exhibition,' linked with 30 e-commerce startups, major online malls, and home shopping channels, will offer various promotional events including discounts of up to 40%. To support small business owners struggling in offline stores, seven O2O (Online to Offline) search advertising platforms will participate, providing focused services such as delivery fee support, coupon distribution, and promotion. Along with special discounts on Onnuri gift certificates, 300 traditional markets nationwide will operate online-centered on-site live commerce broadcasts and neighborhood market shopping services, offering free delivery and prize events. Furthermore, over 2,500 neighborhood markets and Nadul stores will conduct a 'joint sale event' for agricultural and industrial products with direct transactions from production areas, offering discounts of up to 50%.

As a side event, non-face-to-face activities such as the 'National Healing Talk Show,' 'National Participation Mask TikTok Challenge,' and 'Suspicious Santa Certification' will be held to serve as sources of healing and comfort for the public. In particular, near Samcheong-ro, a 'virtual space' will be created featuring a live commerce open studio, smart sales stands, and Christmas lighting displays for O2O sales promotion and experience, to be used as an online digital studio for small business owners.

Minister Park Young-sun of the Ministry said, "As with the summer Together Sale, the event will be conducted strictly following the government's phased quarantine guidelines," and added, "We ask for warm interest and participation so that the warm gift delivered by the Santa mask and the 2020 Christmas Live Market become special gifts for the public and small business owners, and serve as an opportunity to keep the spark of domestic consumption recovery alive."

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