Expansion of Haenam-gun Agricultural and Marine Specialty Product Distribution... 'Preserving Regional Value'

Haenam Miso - Energizing Online and Offline Distribution with Dual Wings of Local Food Direct Stores

[Haenam＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] On the 25th, Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do announced that it is enhancing the value of local specialties by securing sales channels through regional shopping malls and direct stores.

The online shopping mall Haenam Miso, directly operated by the county, surpassed 10 billion KRW in sales in 2020 and achieved sales of 22.6 billion KRW last year, gaining attention as the nation's top public interest shopping mall.

Additionally, the county's local food direct store reached 1 billion KRW in sales within just five months of opening, marking the fruition of the Haenam 2030 Food Plan aimed at establishing a food circulation system.

In particular, Haenam Miso and Haenam Local Food Direct Store have become vital catalysts for the distribution of local agricultural and marine specialties by securing new sales channels for small-scale farms in the region, which previously had insufficient distribution networks, thereby improving farmers' incomes and establishing a stable production base.

Haenam-gun Agricultural and Marine Products Direct Shopping Mall ‘Haenam Miso’ Where Farmers and Consumers Smile Together

Haenam Miso, the agricultural and marine products direct shopping mall of Haenam-gun, has been directly operated by the county since 2011.

Especially since the 7th local government administration, through management administration, sales have shown an astonishing upward trend from 2.2 billion KRW in 2018 to 5.3 billion KRW in 2019, 11.8 billion KRW in 2020, and 22.6 billion KRW in 2021.

The most popular product at Haenam Miso is kimchi ingredients such as salted cabbage made from Haenam cabbage, which sold 7.2 billion KRW (32%) last year, followed by processed agricultural and marine products at 2.9 billion KRW, vegetables at 2.4 billion KRW, rice and grains at 1.9 billion KRW, and sweet potatoes at 1.5 billion KRW.

The number of stores in the mall is steadily increasing, handling 440 farms and 1,400 products, with Haenam Miso’s own membership exceeding 101,152 members and Kakao members at 100,580, surpassing 200,000 members in total.

Particularly, focusing on expanding distribution channels through B2B (business-to-business) electronic commerce, Haenam Miso signed a business agreement with Kakao Shopping in 2019, the first local government to do so, and linked with large shopping malls such as E-Mart Shinsegae and Post Office Shopping Mall, accounting for 58% of total sales.

Through this, during Kakao Shopping’s Talk Deal event, rice, sweet potatoes, and dried sweet potato products recorded over 100 million KRW in sales in just three days, marking the highest sales for a single product. Also, special exhibitions of Haenam agricultural products were held at nationwide large retailers such as Lotte Super and E-Mart Everyday, greatly expanding sales channels for various seasonal agricultural products like sweet potatoes, Chodang corn, potatoes, and leafy cabbages.

Moreover, with a total of 927 million KRW in national subsidies from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ “Let’s Do Agriculture Discount” campaign and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s Korea Sale Festa, various online marketing activities such as consumer coupons, comment events, and discount promotions contributed to increased consumption.

The mall’s own marketing strategy includes the Green Happy Day event held every third Wednesday of the month, which has become a popular event among mall members offering discounts of up to 50%.

This year, the county plans to renew the Haenam Miso shopping mall to establish a consumer-centered integrated management system and focus on high-quality product management to enhance the brand value of Haenam agricultural and marine specialties.

Local Food Direct Store, a Safe Food Supply Source for Haenam Residents

The local food direct store, opened in September last year, has achieved a twofold effect by securing sales channels for small-scale farms and providing residents with a place to purchase fresh agricultural products produced locally.

Haenam-gun Local Food Direct Store sells 524 items from 389 farms, with fresh agricultural products produced on the same day being shipped directly from farms starting at 8 a.m. every day. Since its opening in September last year, it has reached 1 billion KRW in sales within five months, playing a key role in offline distribution.

In particular, 90% of the direct store’s sales revenue, excluding shipping fees by item, is paid directly to the producing farms, effectively increasing the income of small and medium-sized farms.

Haenam was selected as a leading local government for the national task of establishing a food circulation system through the Regional Food Plan in 2018 and has been promoting the ‘Haenam 2030 Food Plan.’ The construction of the local food direct store is one of the core projects of the Food Plan, expected to greatly assist in securing stable distribution channels and increasing income for small farms struggling with sales channels.

Furthermore, by consuming fresh and healthy food produced locally within the region, it is expected to accelerate the establishment of a food circulation system.

Before the opening of the direct store, the county launched the Haenam Food Integrated Support Center, a foundation that will serve as a control tower for residents’ food, including the local food direct store and public meal support center. It has also been focusing on establishing a producer base for the Food Plan by supplying double greenhouses for year-round agricultural production, organizing producers, and expanding shipment items, achieving results in building a multi-item shipment system centered on small farms.

This year, the local food organization will be expanded to 500 farms to diversify sales items further, and an unmanned local food vending machine will be installed at the county office’s new building to improve consumer accessibility. Additionally, through the public school meal support center, the supply rate of excellent Haenam ingredients to local group meal institutions and organizations will be increased.

County Governor Myeong Hyun-gwan stated, “Through Haenam Miso, we are promoting sales centered on consumers in metropolitan areas such as the capital region, and the local food direct store is expanding the supply of safe agricultural and marine products within the region. With Haenam Miso and the local food direct store as twin wings, the highway for Haenam agricultural and marine product distribution is complete. We will concretize the blueprint for Haenam distribution by supplying safe and healthy food to residents and guaranteeing stable income for farmers centered on these pillars.”

Haenam=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun kh0424@asiae.co.kr

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