Seocho-gu Receives Applause for Achieving Win-Win Cooperation by Changing Mandatory Weekday Closure Days for Marts

District to Change Mandatory Large Mart Closure Days to Weekdays Starting January Next Year... Win-Win Agreement to Be Signed This Week
Seocho District, Seocho Gangnam Supermarket Cooperative, and Korea Chain Store Association Participate in Win-Win Agreement
Large Marts to Supply Affordable, High-Quality Products to Small and Medium Distributors to Enhance Competitiveness; Includes Active Support for Conversion to Semi-Large Stores Upon Small Supermarket Requests
Seocho-Type Win-Win Model Completed for Joint Growth of Large Marts, Small and Medium Distributors, and Small Business Owners

Seocho-gu is receiving applause for establishing a foundation for win-win cooperation not only between large supermarkets but also between medium and small-sized marts.

Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) plans to change the mandatory closing days of large supermarkets to weekdays as early as January next year.

This is the first case among Seoul’s autonomous districts.

The district is promoting the change of mandatory closing days of large supermarkets to weekdays to foster win-win cooperation between large supermarkets and small-to-medium marts. Through this, it aims to enhance the competitiveness and profitability of small and medium distribution channels, achieving a Seocho-type win-win model benefiting large supermarkets, small-to-medium distributors, and small business owners alike.

The district plans to sign a win-win agreement within this week to change the mandatory closing days of large supermarkets in the area from the current 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month to designated weekdays (Monday or Wednesday). Currently, three large supermarkets?Lotte Mart, E-Mart, and Kim’s Club?and 32 quasi-large marts close on the 2nd and 4th Sundays, but this will be changed to one weekday.

The upcoming ‘Win-Win Agreement Signing Ceremony’ will involve Seocho-gu, Seocho-Gangnam Supermarket Cooperative, and the Korea Chain Store Association.

The core of this win-win agreement is that large supermarkets will supply inexpensive and high-quality products to local small and medium distribution channels, significantly enhancing their competitiveness. Additionally, upon request from small supermarkets, active support will be provided for conversion to Semi-Superstores (SSM), broadening their options for business strategies.

So far, the district has pursued the preparation of a win-win cooperation plan for changing the mandatory closing days of large supermarkets to weekdays through eight rounds of close consultations between large supermarkets and small-to-medium distributors.

The change of mandatory closing days of large supermarkets to weekdays is the first such change in about 11 years since Seoul’s mandatory closing days for large supermarkets were set to the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month in February 2013.

Meanwhile, according to the ‘Daegu City Large Supermarket Mandatory Closing Day Analysis Results’ announced by Daegu City last September, after changing the mandatory closing days from the 2nd and 4th Sundays to Mondays starting February this year, retail sales increased by 19.8% compared to the previous year over six months, with sales rising across all sectors including traditional markets and department stores.

Going forward, the district plans to proceed with related procedures such as administrative notice and public announcement after signing this win-win agreement.

Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho-gu, said, “I thank all the small and medium distributors, large supermarkets, and small business owners who cooperated in preparing the win-win cooperation plan,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to revitalize both large and small-to-medium distribution businesses and local commercial districts.”

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