[Distribution Hot People] The 'Fruit Industry Big Player' Traveling Production Areas in Search of the Best Strawberries

The Key Player Behind Strawberry Sales Reaching 10 Billion Won

Increasing Satisfaction with a Variety of Fruits

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] Strawberries, once known as a spring fruit, have overtaken tangerines to become the "king" of winter fruits. From December to January, they ranked first in fruit sales at E-Mart. This is because they are not only delicious but also convenient to eat after simply rinsing under running water, and their versatility as an ingredient has increased. There is a team that travels nationwide to deliver the best strawberries to consumers. This is the E-Mart Fresh Fruit Team.

Choi Ji-yoon, head of the E-Mart Fresh Fruit Team (pictured), is the first female fresh food team leader at E-Mart. Choi has focused solely on "fruit" for over 20 years. All fruits sold at E-Mart pass through her hands. She said, "In the past, tangerines were the winter hero fruit, but now more consumers are looking for strawberries," adding, "This year, we started winter strawberry operations two weeks earlier than usual, beginning in early November." They also created a separate 'Strawberry Zone,' doubling the display area compared to the previous year.

Strawberry sales surpassed 10 billion won for the first time this winter. Previously ranked 12th in E-Mart's December sales by item, strawberries this time ranked 5th, following ramen, beer, milk, and branded pork. Among all fruits, they are clearly number one.

Choi said, "To deliver a variety of high-quality strawberries to consumers, fruit buyers are still traveling to production areas," adding, "As more consumers seek distinctive and high-quality new strawberry varieties rather than ordinary ones, we expanded the types from 2-3 to 5-7 this year." The Kingsberry strawberry, which E-Mart began selling in 2017, saw sales increase more than 20 times during last winter’s season compared to the previous year.

Sancheong Janghee strawberries are also popular. Choi said, "Sancheong Janghee strawberries are characterized by their firmness and high sugar content." Sancheong, located at the foot of Jirisan Mountain, has abundant sunlight and a large temperature difference between day and night, creating an optimal environment for strawberry cultivation. Sancheong farmers adopted high-bed cultivation techniques instead of traditional soil cultivation and added a calcium farming method they developed themselves. The premium strawberry product group, including Kingsberry and Sancheong Janghee strawberries, increased its share of December strawberry sales from 14.5% in 2017 to 24.1% last year.

The fruit Choi seeks is "a popular taste." Over the past six years, she has driven 300,000 km by car. She said, "Since everyone’s taste differs, the criteria for choosing fruit vary widely," adding, "Buyers travel to production areas two to three times a week to find the most popular taste." The most rewarding moment during her career as a fruit buyer was in 2012 when she helped farmers by selling out fallen apples.

Choi explained, "Typhoon Bolaven, the 15th typhoon, struck hard, causing significant fallen fruit damage to farms," adding, "To help fruit farmers affected by the typhoon, we commercialized fallen apples and sold 1,000 tons at no profit, and they were so popular that we couldn’t sell more due to lack of supply." At that time, E-Mart procured apples from areas hit directly by the typhoon, such as Yesan in Chungnam and Mungyeong in Gyeongbuk.

E-Mart is enhancing consumer satisfaction by offering a variety of fruits. Choi said, "The fruit market has grown as the variety has expanded from traditional fruits like apples and pears to imported fruits," adding, "We will organize stores to broaden consumers’ choices and allow them to experience diverse flavors."