"Seol Charyesang, Traditional Markets 15.9% Cheaper Than Large Marts"

Price Survey of Lunar New Year Ritual Items at Traditional Markets and Large Supermarkets
Traditional Markets Offer Price Advantages on Vegetables, Seafood, and Meat

Purchasing products needed for the Seol holiday ancestral rites table at traditional markets was found to be about 57,000 KRW cheaper than at large supermarkets.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small Enterprise and Market Service announced on the 2nd the results of a price survey conducted from the 22nd to the 25th on 27 Seol ritual items at 37 traditional markets and 37 nearby large supermarkets.

The cost of setting up a Seol ancestral rites table for four people this year was calculated to be an average of 298,392 KRW at traditional markets. Large supermarkets averaged 354,966 KRW, making traditional markets about 56,574 KRW (15.9%) cheaper compared to large supermarkets. Among the 27 surveyed items, 18 items were cheaper at traditional markets.

By category, the price difference ratios were in the order of vegetables (49.2%), seafood (28.6%), and meat (20.6%), with traditional markets showing a price advantage over large supermarkets. In particular, items where traditional markets showed a price advantage included peeled balloon flower root (69.7%), bracken (65.8%), frozen pollack fillet (43.8%), mung bean sprouts (35.0%), beef (for soup, 33.7%), and jujube (32.9%), among others.

Park Seong-hyo, director of the Small Enterprise and Market Service, said, “Rechargeable card-type Onnuri gift certificates, which can be used at traditional markets and shopping districts nationwide, can be purchased at a 10% discount up to 2 million KRW per month.” He added, “We hope that during the Seol holiday period, people will prepare their ancestral rites tables at traditional markets using rechargeable card-type Onnuri gift certificates to enjoy reasonable prices and good quality.”

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