"Securing 30 Tons of Large Red Sea Bream" Emart Offers 20% Discount on Domestic Large Red Sea Bream Sashimi

E-mart Large Red Sea Bream Sashimi.

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[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] Emart announced on the 26th that it will offer "Large Red Sea Bream Sashimi" made from domestically produced large red sea bream at a discounted price for one week from April 28 to May 4.

During the event period, Emart will sell domestically produced "Large Red Sea Bream Half-and-Half Sashimi" (around 450g, including skin sashimi and flesh sashimi) and domestically produced "Large Red Sea Bream Skin Sashimi" (around 225g) at a 20% discount when using event cards. This means that the large red sea bream sashimi, which is priced higher, will be sold at more than 30% cheaper than regular red sea bream sashimi.

For this event, Emart secured a total of 30 tons of large red sea bream weighing about 4kg each. This is the first time Emart is holding an event for 4kg-class red sea bream, which is known to have better texture and umami flavor as the size increases.

The reason Emart can offer large red sea bream sashimi at a low price is that despite rising oil prices, Emart reduced logistics costs through bulk purchasing of 30 tons.

Previously, Emart sold red sea bream sashimi produced in sizes ranging from 1.7 to 2.0kg. The 1.7 to 2.0kg size takes about 36 months of farming until shipment and is the most productive size.

However, the 4kg-class red sea bream, which is twice that size, must be raised for more than 60 months in total. Although it tastes good, it has low productivity and is usually served at high-end sashimi restaurants. It accounts for about 3% of the total farmed red sea bream and is a rare size.

Expensive large red sea bream were usually shipped alive one or two at a time from farms to high-end sashimi restaurants, but recently, rapid oil price increases have raised logistics costs, causing the price of large red sea bream to rise. In particular, transporting live fish requires the use of "live fish trucks" filled with seawater. These trucks, including the weight of seawater, are heavier than regular delivery vehicles, requiring more fuel and thus higher logistics costs than other delivery vehicles.

Due to rising oil prices, consumption of large red sea bream, which has a high price per kilogram, has gradually decreased. Along with a decline in farm shipments and reduced quantities per shipment, logistics costs have increased further. The increased logistics costs have been reflected in the price of red sea bream, creating a vicious cycle of reduced consumption. As shipment volume decreases and production periods lengthen, additional feed and production costs are incurred, further raising prices. Feed prices have also recently increased by about 20% due to the rise in international grain prices.

In response, Emart planned and contracted for 30 tons of large red sea bream at once to reduce logistics costs and stimulate consumption. This allowed farms to overcome the decline in large red sea bream shipments, and customers can now enjoy premium red sea bream sashimi at affordable prices in this high-price era.

Emart will also offer "Red Sea Bream Skin Sashimi," which was previously only available at high-end sashimi restaurants or fish markets for an additional cost, at a reasonable price. Red sea bream skin sashimi is a premium sashimi that usually requires purchasing a whole red sea bream. Emart plans to include the event for "Red Sea Bream Skin Sashimi," which boasts the unique savory taste of large red sea bream and a chewy texture from lightly cooked skin.

Kim Sang-min, Emart sashimi buyer, said, "Emart has secured a large quantity of large red sea bream, known as the best sashimi, and will offer it to customers at an affordable price." He added, "Emart will continue to strive to reduce customers' shopping burdens through various methods such as reducing logistics costs."

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