Shinsegae Launches Industry-First Directly Sourced Hanwoo 'Shinsegae Amso Hanwoo'

Shinsegae Department Store, the first in the industry to introduce direct-auctioned Korean beef, is launching its own Korean beef brand, ‘Shinsegae Amso Hanwoo.’ This is the first time a department store has created its own Korean beef brand.

According to Gwangju Shinsegae on the 14th, since 2021, Shinsegae’s livestock buyers have directly participated in auctions to purchase 40 heads of cattle each month. This accounts for about 25% of the volume Shinsegae directly procures, and the high quality and reasonable prices have led to monthly sell-outs, drawing enthusiastic responses from customers.

Shinsegae’s direct-auctioned Hanwoo is selected by livestock buyers with over 10 years of experience who have obtained auction participant licenses. They check the list of Hanwoo available on the day early in the morning at the Chungbuk Eumseong Hanwoo auction market and carefully select only the finest Hanwoo to offer.

Having verified product quality through direct-auctioned Hanwoo, Shinsegae is now launching a specialized Hanwoo brand to further strengthen its competitiveness with differentiated products and reasonable prices.

First, to compensate for the drawbacks of female Hanwoo, which boasts tender texture and rich flavor but has significant quality variation within the same grade due to pregnancy and childbirth, Shinsegae established strict internal quality standards based on its know-how in operating and managing direct-auctioned Hanwoo.

After operating direct-auctioned Hanwoo for the past two years, Shinsegae analyzed that customers most prefer lean meat with less marbling in the first grade.

Accordingly, Shinsegae selects female Hanwoo under 60 months old that have given birth four times or fewer. Since heavier females tend to have higher fat ratios and less lean meat quality, only individuals weighing around 320 to 400 kg, known as the royal size, will be handled.

Additionally, to maintain optimal freshness until just before cooking, only products with bright pink meat color are insisted upon, and to maximize the clean taste, only parts with fat color close to milky white are carefully selected to captivate customers’ palates.

The product volume of Shinsegae Amso Hanwoo will also be expanded to about 80 heads per month, which is 50% of the volume directly procured, reflecting customer demand. This doubles the previous volume, aiming to offer excellent quality Hanwoo to more customers at reasonable prices.

To ensure consistent quality and stable supply despite the doubled volume, four designated brokers with over 10 years of experience will join Shinsegae buyers. All are veterans with more than a decade of expertise.

A promotion commemorating the launch of the in-house female Hanwoo brand has also been prepared. On the days when Shinsegae Amso Hanwoo arrives each month, various events such as ‘Cow Slaughter Day’ or ‘Hanwoo Day’ will be planned to introduce high-quality female Hanwoo at special prices.

Furthermore, following female Hanwoo, Shinsegae plans to expand its own brand category to pork, strengthening quality competitiveness.

Until now, most pork sold at Shinsegae Department Store was branded pork raised and distributed by partner companies, making it indistinguishable from competitors. Shinsegae plans to launch a brand that selects only high-quality female pork, enhancing its own product competitiveness following the female Hanwoo brand.

It has been on sale at Gwangju Shinsegae since the 10th.

Choi Won-jun, head of food at Shinsegae Department Store, said, “Shinsegae, which first introduced high-quality Hanwoo through direct auctions in the industry, is now branding its own Hanwoo. We will do our best to introduce the best quality at reasonable prices through differentiated product branding.”

Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shin Dong-ho yjm3070@asiae.co.kr