[Report] Weekend Peak, Ssuk Day... Emart Bustling with TV and Samgyeopsal Deep Discounts

E-Mart SSG Day First Day Major Store Scenes
Up to Half-Price Discounts from Hanwoo and Samgyeopsal to TVs

Crowds Gather Around Flyer Featured Product Corners
Event Peaks with Daily Special Offers Until the 19th

"Grade 1 Pork Belly and Neck Meat, 50% Off. Grab It While It Lasts!"

On the 17th, I visited the Emart Yeongdeungpo branch in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Although it was just after opening on a weekday morning, the meat section was crowded with visitors. It was the first day of 'Emart Ssuk Day,' the highlight of the large-scale shopping event '2023 Ssuk Day' hosted by Shinsegae Group, and the crowd had gathered to buy Hanwoo beef and pork belly, Emart’s featured products. Lee Jaeyoung (pseudonym), a woman in her 40s living in Mapo-gu, said, "I came to Yeongdeungpo to do some shopping and browse the department store," adding, "I plan to grill meat with my family this weekend."

Visitors holding flyers were busy moving around the corners with carts full of promotional items. Due to the crowd from the first day, the aisles were narrow, causing carts to stop and move repeatedly here and there. Employees also actively promoted the products, saying, "They are really cheap."

On the first day of 'Emart Ssuk Day' on the 17th, visitors at Emart Yeongdeungpo branch in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, are lining up waiting to check out.
[Photo by Yuri Kim].

Starting on the 13th, Ssuk Day is the largest annual shopping event featuring 20 Shinsegae Group affiliates, showcasing products worth 1.5 trillion KRW. Emart is participating from Friday the 17th until the last day of Ssuk Day on the 19th, offering a variety of products from TVs to pork belly at special prices. This year, considering the ongoing high inflation and the heavy burden on customers’ shopping baskets, the event focused on key food items and daily necessities.

The most popular products among visitors that day were Hanwoo beef and pork belly. Emart is offering a 40% discount on all branded Hanwoo products when paying with Shinsegae Points until the last day of Ssuk Day on the 19th. Pork belly and neck meat selected as grade 1 or higher are offered at a 50% discount, half price. On Sunday the 19th, Hanwoo sirloin and striploin will be sold at a 50% discount with Shinsegae Points.

The egg display was also crowded. Visitors were buying two trays of 30 eggs each (60 eggs total) at a 40% discount, priced in the high 8,000 KRW range. Shine Muscat grapes, introduced as a featured product at the top of the flyer, were loaded into every cart. 'Triple 100 Shine Muscat (2.5kg)' was offered at a 40% discount with Shinsegae Points. At the promotional stand selling any three bags of instant noodles for the 9,000 KRW range regardless of brand or price, customers lined up with their cards ready.

On the 17th, shoppers are bustling at the meat section of Emart Yeongdeungpo branch in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Yuri Kim.

The Ssuk Day atmosphere was also heating up at the basement first floor Electromart. Boxes of Philips Latte Classic priced in the high 200,000 KRW range and Cuckoo 6-person IH rice cookers priced in the 140,000 KRW range were stacked at the entrance. Visitors carefully examined the products, picked them up, or called family members to discuss the purchase. Emart is offering large home appliances such as Samsung and LG refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, and TVs as 'Ssuk Day packages' with significant discounts, and is giving Shinsegae gift certificates worth up to 1.25 million KRW depending on the purchase amount.

In addition, most products had red price tags indicating Ssuk Day discounts. Over 100 items including frozen dumplings, frozen pork cutlets, refrigerated udon, perilla oil and sesame oil, carbonated drinks, shelf-stable instant soups, domestic tofu, frozen pizza, gochujang, doenjang, ssamjang, cheese, and imported butter were introduced with promotions such as buy one get one free or 50% off when buying two.

Winter clothing also joined the discount lineup. Days Fluffy jumpers, Polham Kids, Heatfeel innerwear, Vivian women's underwear, and Deuter autumn/winter hiking clothes were also featured in half-price promotions.

Launched in 2019 as a joint event of 16 Shinsegae Group affiliates, Ssuk Day has expanded its scale every year. Sales, which were 500 billion KRW in the first year, increased to 700 billion KRW in 2020 and 960 billion KRW in 2021. Last year, the event was skipped due to the Halloween tragedy in Itaewon, raising expectations for this year’s sales. An Emart official said, "Special daily deals such as fried chicken on Saturday and fresh chicken on Sunday are also prepared," adding, "We expect even more customers this weekend than today."

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