Companion Festival Kicks Off... Expanding Local Spending Through Collaboration with Regional Festivals

200 Online & Offline Distribution Channels and 33,000 Small Businesses Participating
Linked with Local Festivals Nationwide
Proactive Response to Declining Consumer Sentiment Due to the Middle East Conflict

This year, the "Companion Festival" will kick off on April 11. The Companion Festival is a signature nationwide campaign launched in 2020 to boost sales for small businesses and stimulate consumption. This year, a diverse array of events has been organized, particularly to proactively address declining consumer sentiment driven by the Middle East conflict and to support the recovery of the people’s livelihoods and the domestic economy.

On April 6, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that it will hold the "April Companion Festival" for one month, from April 11 to May 10. This year’s festival will feature participation from 200 sales channels and 33,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small business owners, providing a variety of benefits for consumers, including discount events.

Travel & Tourism Consumption Festival Linked with Local Festivals

To invigorate local consumption, this year’s Companion Festival will run promotional and sales events in conjunction with 50 local festivals. At 50 festivals nationwide—such as the Yangdong Tongmaek Festival in Gwangju’s Seo-gu and the Busan Wheat Festival in Busan’s Buk-gu—there will be local product sales, receipt verification events, magic performances, busking, and a range of other entertainment and perks.

In addition, to attract the growing number of foreign tourists—spurred by the K-culture boom—to neighborhood shopping districts across the country, a "Companion Festival 50 Tour" travel package tied to local festivals will be offered, encouraging tourists who use public transportation to naturally engage in local spending. "Companion Welcome Centers" will be set up at airports and airport railways to provide information about local festivals and commercial districts. Promotional campaigns featuring foreign influencers will also be conducted to further encourage international visitors to explore local areas and spend locally.

Nationwide Participation Events & Discount Benefits

To allow everyone to participate and truly experience the benefits, broad discounts and consumer incentives have been prepared. The digital Onnuri discount rate will be temporarily increased, and nine credit card companies will provide benefits such as immediate discounts, prize drawings, and cashback when customers make payments at century-old stores, traditional markets, or Onnuri-affiliated merchants.

There will also be a variety of events in which anyone can easily participate, such as the "Local Festival 10,000-Won Challenge" and "My Own Companion Place." Participants who visit a local festival sales event or nearby neighborhood small business, make a purchase, and submit their receipt or verification photo will be entered into a drawing to win up to 500,000 won in Onnuri gift certificates.

Online & Offline Discount Sales through Private Sector Collaboration

Across 200 online platforms and major retail outlets nationwide, there will be product discount sales and a wealth of purchasing benefits for consumers. Online, 93 platforms—including Kakao, Gmarket, and Kurly—will feature more than 18,000 small business owners offering K-beauty, fashion, and food products at discounts ranging from 10% to 40%. The "Companion 300 Special Exhibition," the festival’s flagship event on Naver, will provide an additional 20% discount coupon, allowing customers to purchase products at up to 70% off the original price.

TV home shopping channels (including Gongyoung Home Shopping and Home&Shopping) and data home shopping channels (SK Store, TRN, W Shopping) will also offer discounts on excellent products in food, lifestyle, and fashion categories. Additionally, local product halls, public delivery apps, local government e-malls, and online traditional market halls that accept digital Onnuri payments will allow consumers to purchase local specialties at discounted prices.

Collaboration with large distribution networks will be greatly expanded, with 15,000 small business owners participating in major collaborative exhibitions through 107 distribution channels nationwide. At 1,200 Hanaro Mart locations, agricultural, livestock, marine, and processed goods will be available at discounts of up to 60%. Shinsegae Starfield will host a pop-up store featuring food, general merchandise, and 50 century-old businesses and small business owners.

Emart will also host sales events with over 20 small business participants, and Lotte Department Store and NC Department Store will offer discounts of up to 60% on food, general merchandise, and kitchenware. In particular, in collaboration with the Apparel Environment Council and the Korea Kitchen Distribution Association, a large-scale discount event will be held offering up to 90% off on clothing and kitchenware, giving consumers the opportunity to purchase essentials at very affordable prices.

At 436 supermarkets nationwide affiliated with the National SME Distribution Joint Logistics Center, a joint sale event will be held on 170 items, including groceries, with discounts of up to 45%. Meanwhile, at all 230 Hansalim Union branches, anyone can purchase items at member prices during the festival period.

Minister Han Seong-sook of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups stated, "Spending locally is the key to revitalizing the economy," and urged the public, "Take public transportation to visit nearby local festivals and commercial districts, purchase products from small businesses, and show your interest and participation in the Companion Festival."

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