Explosive Increase in Yangsan Love Card Usage
Festival's Impact Clearly Felt
During a winter cold snap that froze the alleyways, Yangsan City placed small heaters in the middle of the marketplace.
The "Ongolmok Warmth Festival," which has been taking place in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province since December 5 and will continue until the 16th, has been shown to have a clear effect on boosting local consumption.
Since the start of the festival, sales of the Yangsan Love Card increased by 8.3% across the city compared to the previous week, and soared by 43.6% compared to the previous month.
In particular, shops near the concert venue held on December 6 along Pyeongsan Jungang-gil saw sales rise by 42.9% compared to the previous week and by 32.5% compared to the previous month, highlighting the festival's significant impact on consumption in the alleyway business districts.
During the festival, the city temporarily raised the Yangsan Love Card reward rate from the usual 13% to 18% to encourage active participation by citizens. By combining street performances, booths for exhibiting and selling products from local businesses, hands-on programs, and events linked to local shopping districts, the city created a natural flow leading to increased local spending.
Approximately 5,000 citizens participated in the performances held in East Yangsan on December 6 and West Yangsan on December 13. Merchants around the event venues reported a significant increase in sales, especially over the weekend, and expressed their hope that such events would be held more frequently.
In addition, the city noted that both reloading and new issuance of the Yangsan Love Card increased, further strengthening the local consumption cycle.
An official from Yangsan City stated, "The significant increase in Yangsan Love Card sales compared to both the previous week and the previous month is a meaningful achievement resulting from citizen participation and cooperation with the local business community," adding, "As the festival continues until the 16th, we will do our utmost to further warm up the local economy during the remaining days of the event."
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