Seoul Small Business Products Online Special Discount Event, 'Super Seoul Week' Held

From the 21st to the 4th of next month, a two-week simultaneous event at major online malls like Coupang and Tmon
Over 4,000 products on sale, up to 20% discount per item

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Although the online shopping market is rapidly growing due to changes in consumer trends caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, small business owners who lack experience and capabilities in non-face-to-face sales are facing relatively greater difficulties as entering the online market itself is challenging. To help these small business owners develop online sales channels, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has partnered with major online malls.

On the 17th, Seoul announced that from the 21st of this month to the 4th of next month, a two-week event called Super Seoul Week will be held across five major online malls, selling over 4,000 products from small business owners. During Super Seoul Week, consumers can purchase small business products at a discount of up to 20% (up to 10,000 KRW).

Last December, Seoul held a three-week Super Seoul Week to support new sales channels for small business owners, generating sales of 17.3 billion KRW. This year, responding to requests from small business owners, the event will be expanded to twice a year, in the first and second halves.

This year’s Super Seoul Week will be held simultaneously on five online shopping malls: Lotte ON, Gmarket, Auction, Coupang, and TMON, selling products from over 4,000 small business owners. The products include a variety of categories such as food, stationery, home interior, fashion apparel, kitchenware, and health foods. To provide benefits to consumers, discount coupons will be issued during the period, allowing up to 20% off (up to 10,000 KRW) per product when applied.

Additionally, Seoul is conducting a second recruitment of more than 300 small business owners by July 23 to participate in online expansion support projects such as the second half Super Seoul Week scheduled for December. WEMAKEPRICE (Wemakeprice) will be added in the second half, making a total of six online malls participating. Especially in the second recruitment, selection will focus on new entrants to online shopping malls to provide more participation opportunities for small business owners. Among the second recruitment applicants, about 100 small business owners who pass an additional selection process will receive customized programs such as one-on-one consulting and detailed page production support.

Besides Super Seoul Week, Seoul operates a permanent small business owners’ exclusive section called “SsolSsol Market” within major online shopping malls since May 3, achieving sales of 2.4 billion KRW in the first month, demonstrating various support efforts for small business owners’ entry into the online market and sales channel development. About 1,400 small business owners have joined SsolSsol Market, which offers lower sales commissions than general companies and supports discount coupon issuance and promotions, receiving great responses.

To help small business owners enter the non-face-to-face online market, online education is also being provided to transfer practical know-how. Individual IDs are issued to small business owners, and lectures are conducted according to their needs. MD consultation meetings will be held more than five times from June to November, allowing about 600 companies to have one-on-one consultations directly with online mall MDs. Other programs such as detailed page production, product packaging improvement, and on-site visiting consulting will be conducted according to individual small business owners’ schedules until September.

Seo Sung-man, Director of Labor and Livelihood Policy at Seoul City, said, “We will help small business owners adapt well to the consumption trend changes centered on non-face-to-face and online e-commerce by strengthening their basic capabilities through education and consulting, and by supporting online sales channel development and marketing, so that they can operate continuously and stably with enhanced competitiveness.”