Ministry of SMEs and Startups Partners with Local Governments to Foster 800 'Smart Super' Stores

Store No.1 Sales Up 34.8%... Tailored to Local Commercial Area Characteristics

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Junhyung Lee] The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 3rd that it will foster 800 "Smart Supers" this year in collaboration with basic local governments. Local governments wishing to participate in the project can apply to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups from the 4th to the 26th.

The Smart Super fostering project supports neighborhood supermarkets in adapting to the non-face-to-face and digital distribution environment by providing technologies and equipment necessary for unmanned operations, such as entry authentication devices and unmanned checkout counters. Small business owners can increase additional sales during nighttime hours and reduce working hours. There is also the advantage of satisfying customers who prefer non-face-to-face consumption due to concerns about COVID-19 infection.

Last year, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups conducted a pilot project targeting five neighborhood supermarkets, and as a result, the first and second stores saw sales increase by 34.8% and 8.8%, respectively, after opening, achieving the intended outcomes.

Based on these results, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups will officially expand the project and foster 800 Smart Supers nationwide this year. Considering that neighborhood supermarkets are representative businesses in alleyway commercial districts, the project will be promoted in collaboration with local governments to suit the characteristics of regional commercial areas.

Once the Ministry of SMEs and Startups selects the local governments to participate in the project, the local governments will accept applications from neighborhood supermarkets in their jurisdiction wishing to participate, conduct on-site evaluations, and then support their transition to Smart Supers. The costs for introducing the technologies and equipment necessary for Smart Supers will be partially supported jointly by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the local governments. The Ministry will provide up to 5 million KRW per store, and local governments will provide matching support of at least 2 million KRW.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will hold regional online business briefings for local governments from the 15th to the 18th. These briefings will provide detailed guidance on the Smart Super project and how to apply for participation. Application methods and submission documents can be found on the Small Enterprise and Market Service website.

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