[Distribution Hot People] "Giljjuk-i Strawberry and Red Shine Muscat... Unique Fruits Put to the 'SSG' Test"

From Seolhyang Strawberry to Janghee Strawberry, from Shine Muscat to My Heart Grape
The evolution of unique fruit varieties... Targeting 3040 young families seeking new flavors
This year's strawberry bounty... Unique varieties like Janghee and Geumsil account for over 20% of sales
Strawberries picked in the morning arrive on the table by afternoon with 'Sanji-Neo-Ssuk Delivery' 3-step service

Lee Hojong, Head of Fresh Food Team at SSG.com.

"Janghee strawberries have a longer triangular shape compared to regular strawberries. They are popular because of their soft texture, rich sweetness, and resistance to bruising."

On the 8th, Lee Hojong, head of the Fresh Food Team at SSG.com, said in an interview with Asia Economy, "This year’s strawberry harvest is quite good," adding, "Besides Seolhyang strawberries, unique varieties such as Janghee, Geumsil, Seolhee, Vitaberry, and Kingsberry have become relatively more affordable due to a bumper crop, increasing customer demand to over 20% of total strawberry sales," he said.

Lee is a 'fresh produce expert' with 20 years of experience as a buyer in the distribution industry, specializing in fresh foods including meat. He joined SSG.com in 2020 and currently oversees all fresh products. Lee identified fruit as one of the fresh categories that has seen the most seasonal and item-specific changes over the past two years. Notably, Shine Muscat grapes, which were unfamiliar just a few years ago, now account for 60% of total grape sales this year.

This year, consumers seeking new flavors were introduced to the red heart-shaped Shine Muscat My Heart grapes. Lee explained, "My Heart grapes achieved sales of about 40 million KRW this year. While not a large amount, it is significant as it confirms a promising new variety that could take the place after Shine Muscat." Next year, they plan to further develop this by managing quality through contract farming with producers in Sangju, lowering prices, and increasing supply.

Besides strawberries and grapes, exotic fruits are also gaining popularity. Flat peaches, which have higher sugar content and better texture than regular peaches, were only tested in small quantities this year but are expected to see continuous supply expansion next year and the year after, based on their popularity on social media (SNS). Mandarin oranges, imported from the U.S., generated about 50 million KRW in sales this year. Customers are increasingly seeking this item as a substitute during the domestic tangerine off-season. Representative differentiated varieties of domestic kiwis, such as Jeju Ruby Gold Kiwi and Emerald Kiwi, along with native species like Korean Actinidia, figs, Jeju Black Sapphire grapes, Ruby Roman grapes, and Red Mangoes, were also put to the test in sales this year.

New varieties are distributed by seed management institutions like the Rural Development Administration, then cultivated through agreements between local agricultural cooperatives and farmers, and finally their distribution is decided through fruit buyers at distribution companies like SSG.com. Lee emphasized, "Before the fruit even ripens, we visit the production sites to carefully check whether cultivation is following the manual," adding, "Buyers with over 10 years of fresh produce purchasing experience visit production sites weekly to check details that cannot be managed in offline nationwide mass distribution."

Strawberries that pass strict inspections are harvested in the morning and arrive at the online-exclusive logistics center Neo by noon, then delivered to households via afternoon 'SSG Delivery.' This means strawberries harvested the same day are on the dining table by the afternoon. Lee said, "Strawberries can only be stored at Neo for up to two days," and added, "We manage order quantities using customer purchase data to ensure strawberries reach customers’ doorsteps on the same day."

Lee stated, "Typically, it takes 3 to 5 years for a new variety to be cultivated and more than 2 years to establish itself in distribution," and expressed, "We will leverage the strength of online platforms to offer a variety of products in small quantities and gradually introduce diverse items."