Lotte Mart to Visit Product Planners for Distribution-Vulnerable Farms

Local MD Seung-A Kim from the Gyeongbuk region discussing products during a visit to a Seongju chamoe farm.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] Lotte Mart's 'Local MD (Regional Merchandise Planner)' has stepped up to support distribution-vulnerable farms struggling to secure sales channels.

According to the industry on the 16th, many farms are facing difficulties securing distribution channels due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and rising prices. In particular, small-scale, elderly, and women-led farms find it challenging to independently develop sales channels.

Lotte Mart is supporting the sales channels of distribution-vulnerable farms in various regions by utilizing Local MDs nationwide.

Local MDs are specialized personnel nurtured by Lotte Mart to build close networks with local farms and manage production areas. Since last year, one Local MD has been assigned to each region nationwide to manage fresh local food products that shorten the distance between producers and consumers in each area.

Through the activities of these Local MDs, Lotte Mart is discovering farms with excellent products but struggling due to limited sales channels.

At all Lotte Mart stores and on Lotte Mart Mall within Lotte ON, a Seongju Chamoe (Korean melon) event planned by Local MDs will be held from the 19th to the 25th. The Local MD responsible for the Gyeongbuk region heard about the difficulties faced by distribution-vulnerable farms through the Gyeongsangbuk-do Agricultural Food Distribution Education Promotion Institute during field activities. Subsequently, the MD visited each farm directly to understand their situation and began discussions on sales channels and product management.

As a result, from the 19th to the 25th, a farm support event selling 'Seongju Chamoe (1.5kg)' at 9,990 KRW will be held to support the sales channels of chamoe farms in Seongju County.

In addition, various products such as 'Na Honja Chamoe (1 piece/bag)', planned for single-person households and outings, and 'Giant Chamoe', which offers abundant flesh with each fruit weighing over 500g, have been prepared.

Lotte Mart plans to introduce various agricultural products from Gyeongsangbuk-do, including plums and Shine Muscat grapes, to customers starting with this consumption promotion event.

Kim Young-gu, Head of Fresh Food Division 1 at Lotte Mart, said, "We expect that this Seongju Chamoe consumption promotion event, which provided sales channels to distribution-vulnerable farms, will help ease the burdens of farms in the Gyeongbuk region that have suffered due to COVID-19," adding, "We will continue to hold farm support events to assist farms and provide fresh products to customers."