Large Supermarkets Support Tomato Farms... Expanding Unique Varieties

Rapid Consumption Decline Followed by 'Recovery'
Large-Scale Purchases and Discount Events
Introduction of Various Unique Tomatoes

Large supermarkets have stepped up to save tomato farms. This comes after a sharp decline in consumption following a series of vomiting cases linked to cherry tomatoes at the end of March. Each company has launched large-scale purchases, discount events, and expanded unique varieties, leading to a recovery in tomato sales.

A model is introducing tomato products at Lotte Mart.
[Photo by Lotte Mart]

According to Emart on the 17th, tomato sales in April this year fell by 21.6% compared to the previous year, and in May, they dropped by 19.9%. From the 1st to the 13th of this month, sales also declined by 10.3% compared to the same period last year, but the rate of decrease is shrinking each month. Although the problematic variety was entirely discarded at the time, it is analyzed that consumers are still hesitant to purchase tomatoes. As a result, tomato sales ranked 2nd among all fruits in March, 3rd in April, 4th in May, and 3rd in June. During the same period, Lotte Mart saw a 20% decrease in tomato sales, and Homeplus's growth rate dropped to single digits. Currently, sales have returned to levels similar to the previous year.

Each company has increased tomato purchase volumes and worked to stimulate consumption. Emart secured 400 tons of tomatoes from the 25th to the 31st of last month and held a 30% discount event. They also showcase various products weekly, including cherry tomatoes, fully ripe tomatoes, and unique tomato varieties. Lotte Mart expanded cherry tomato purchases more than threefold and held tasting events to promote sales. Homeplus increased sales of cherry tomatoes from the 25th of last month to the 7th of this month.

They are especially increasing unique tomato products. Emart currently operates 10 varieties, including Luxury Byeolmato, Rainbow Cherry Tomato, Daljjak Tomato, and Honey Tomato. Emart actively introduces good quality and popular varieties by trial cultivating unique types through a partner company that owns the largest 30,000-pyeong glass greenhouse in Korea. They are also working to discover varieties with distinctive textures and tastes, such as Apple Tomato and Plum Tomato, through other partners.

Lotte Mart offers more than five unique tomato varieties year-round. Representative products include Sweet Honey Tomato, which has an excellent balance of sweetness and acidity; Sweetel Tomato, which is convenient to eat without stems; and Green Tomato, a high-sugar variety shaped similarly to Shimmer Muscat grapes. Homeplus currently sells about 10 varieties, including Byeol Tomato, Paprika Tomato, Cocktail Tomato, and Apple Tomato. The most recently introduced variety is Rainbow Snack Tomato, grown in a smart farm glass greenhouse, known for its high sugar content and stemless convenience.

A representative from a large supermarket said, “We are always working to commercialize tomatoes with safe and reliable quality,” adding, “We are increasing direct purchase volumes in a win-win effort with local farms where inventory depletion is stagnant, and we are striving to stimulate consumption through discount events.”

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