Lotte Mart Opens Salmon Farm in Chile to Secure Price Competitiveness

Imported at 15% Below Market Price
One-Week Promotion: Fresh Salmon Fillets at 19,900 Won

Lotte Mart announced on July 31 that it will begin operating a designated salmon aquaculture farm in Chile starting this July, marking the first time a domestic retailer in Korea has done so. This initiative aims to secure price competitiveness and ensure a stable supply of high-quality salmon.

A photo of Seongyeon Jo, MD of the Seafood Team at Lotte Mart and Supermarket, visiting a local salmon farm located in Puerto Montt, Los Lagos Region, southern Chile. Provided by Lotte Mart.

According to the "July 2025 Agricultural, Livestock, and Fisheries Import Price Index" released by the Korea Trade Statistics Promotion Institute, the import price index for "frozen fish," which includes imported salmon, increased by 11.1% compared to the previous year. This rise is attributed to the continued impact of high exchange rates, which have led to an increase in import costs.

The designated aquaculture farm operates on a pre-contract basis, making it less susceptible to exchange rate fluctuations. Even during periods of high exchange rates, Lotte Mart can import salmon at reasonable prices. Lotte Mart plans to pre-contract approximately 1,000 tons of raw salmon, importing it at up to 15% lower than international market prices. By securing the import volume in advance and ensuring stable profits for producers, Lotte Mart expects to maintain a stable supply of high-quality salmon.

From now until August 6, Lotte Mart will offer a one-week promotion on large fillet salmon?specifically, "Patagonia Fresh Salmon (500g, Chilean origin) certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)"?to L.Point members at a discounted price of 19,900 won, 10,000 won off the regular price. This ASC-certified, sustainably farmed seafood is produced in a responsible aquaculture environment that prioritizes harmony with nature, ensuring excellent quality.

In addition to salmon, Lotte Mart is also focusing on strengthening price competitiveness for food ingredients through direct overseas sourcing and the operation of designated domestic farms. For example, it directly sources "B750 Bananas" grown in the highlands of Vietnam, importing more than 2,000 tons annually and selling them at prices over 10% lower than those of bananas from the Philippines. In the poultry sector, Lotte Mart has introduced a "designated farm" system to establish a supply chain that is unaffected by market price fluctuations. In collaboration with Harim, Lotte Mart oversees the entire production process to maintain quality, and thanks to the designated farm system, it offers poultry at prices about 10% lower than branded poultry products.

Cho Sungyeon, Lotte Mart·Supermarine Products Team MD (Merchandiser), stated, "To respond to rapidly changing high exchange rates and international market conditions, we are now able to provide high-quality salmon at reasonable prices through locally designated aquaculture farms. We will continue to prepare aggressive salmon discount events and discover new high-quality salmon sources so that customers immediately think of Lotte Mart when they think of salmon."