Supporting Farms Hit by Hail
Reducing Consumer Price Burden
Half-Price Promotion for One Week
Lotte Mart and Super announced on the 16th that they will begin full-scale sales of 'Sangsaeng Cheondoboksunga' starting from the 19th.
A customer purchasing 'Sangsaeng Cheondoboksunga' at Lotte Mart Zeta Plex Seoul Station branch located in Jung-gu, Seoul. Provided by Lotte Mart.
'Sangsaeng Cheondoboksunga' is a special product (2kg/pack) created by Lotte Mart and Super, who purchased 60 tons of nectarines damaged by hail. This win-win project was planned after a fruit team merchandiser (MD) witnessed the hail damage firsthand during a visit to the production area. It utilizes fruit that is smaller in size or has minor surface blemishes.
This year, the peach harvest is expected to be poorer than last year. According to the Korea Rural Economic Institute, heavy snow and a cold snap during the flowering period in April caused frost damage, resulting in a decrease of more than 10% in the number of fruits. At the end of May, hail fell in major production areas such as North Gyeongsang and North Chungcheong, damaging the surface of the fruit and causing a significant increase in the amount of produce that did not meet the standards for premium products.
Although 'Sangsaeng Cheondoboksunga' is identical in taste and nutrition to regular products, it is priced about 30% lower than the normal retail price. After a test run at select stores, full-scale sales will begin nationwide at Lotte Mart and Super from the 19th.
Lotte Mart and Super will also hold a 50% discount promotion, selling the product for 10,990 won from the 19th to the 25th to commemorate its launch. They plan to continue introducing 'Sangsaeng Peaches' reflecting different varieties by season until early August. Through this initiative, they aim to provide stable sales channels for farms affected by the damage and expand fruit consumption opportunities for consumers, thereby helping to ease the burden of rising prices.
Meanwhile, Lotte Mart and Super also purchased hail-damaged apples from North Chungcheong in 2023 and offered them as 'Hail-Dimpled Apples.' At that time, apples that were difficult to distribute due to external damage were sold at more than 50% off the regular price, and the entire 200 tons prepared sold out thanks to strong customer response.
Shin Hansol, fruit team MD at Lotte Mart and Super, said, "We launched this project to support production areas struggling with abnormal weather and to allow customers to enjoy fruit without financial burden despite high prices. We will continue to strengthen win-win distribution so that we can offer seasonal fruit at reasonable prices in the future."
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