hy, 'Yakult Competition' Held After 4 Years... "Yakult Religion Returns"

There is a day when you cannot find a single one of the so-called ‘Yakult Ajumma’ who always handed over Yakult at the same time and place while walking around the neighborhood anywhere in the country. This is the day of hy’s biggest event where these women gather in one place, the ‘Yakult Competition.’ The Yakult Competition was suspended from 2020 when COVID-19 began to spread seriously in Korea, but it is being held again this year after four years, following the endemic phase.

A Fresh Manager delivering goods to a customer. Photo by hy

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According to hy on the 20th, hy will hold the ‘hy Competition’ in Ilsan and Daegu on the 16th and 23rd of next month, respectively, with a one-week interval. The hy Competition is an event where all the Fresh Managers, formerly known as Yakult Ajumma, from across the country gather, featuring an awards ceremony and performances for the Fresh Managers.

The hy Competition was held up to the 48th event in 2019 but was suspended after the outbreak of COVID-19, with only awards being given until last year. The name was originally ‘Yakult Competition’ until the 48th event, but in 2021, hy changed its company name from Korea Yakult, and this year the event name was also newly changed to hy Competition. This year, about half of the 11,000 Fresh Managers nationwide are expected to attend. In the past, more than 10,000 Fresh Managers attended the competition where all Fresh Managers gathered, and about 300 buses were mobilized. Approximately 20% of Fresh Managers received various awards every year. The exact number of attendees and awardees is still being coordinated, but it is expected to be held in a similar format to previous years.

Until the 2019 competition, the highest honor, the Hall of Fame awardee, was given a passenger car, and awards were given in various categories such as Sales King, Master, and Sales Queen. All awardees were also provided with opportunities for domestic and overseas training along with prizes. This year, awards will be given mainly based on two categories: activity period and performance. Fresh Managers from each region participating in the event plan to deliver products to customers in advance instead of working on the day of the event.

The Yakult Competition has always been a hot topic in online communities whenever it was held. Due to its massive scale of gathering over 10,000 people, it was even nicknamed the ‘Yakult Religion.’ The Fresh Manager, a symbol of hy, started in 1971 with 41 housewife salespeople, exceeded 5,000 in the 1980s, and now, 50 years later, about 11,000 people are active. Beyond selling dairy products, they have become beloved nationwide by caring for elderly people living alone and building bonds with local residents, establishing themselves as more than just salespeople. Recently, the delivery scope has expanded beyond dairy products to include ready-to-eat meals, meal kits, razors, and credit cards, making Fresh Managers a core asset and distribution network of hy.

An hy official said, “The hy Competition, held for the first time in four years, is an event for communication and harmony for Fresh Managers who do their best to satisfy customers,” adding, “We plan to make thorough preparations so that everyone can leave with joyful memories.”

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