[E-Daily Reporter KYUNG GYEYOUNG ] “Why is it priced this way?” We’re here to answer those questions about prices that have crossed your mind at least once as you absentmindedly reached for your wallet. From department stores to convenience stores, we cover everything about everyday prices—whether it’s food or clothing. <Editor’s Note>

Have you ever waited at a large supermarket while grocery shopping in the evening for a clerk to apply a “discount” sticker? When you manage to buy something cheaper than the regular price by just a few minutes, it feels like you’ve scored a great deal.

Large supermarkets offer so-called “end-of-day discounts,” primarily on fresh foods, just before closing. Since freshness is a key competitive advantage for these stores, the discounts apply to freshness-sensitive items—products that are safe to consume and still fresh but must be sold or discarded that same day. These include fruits, agricultural, livestock, and marine products, as well as deli items like sushi and boxed meals. Sometimes, items nearing their expiration date are also discounted.

The time when end-of-day discounts begin and the specific items included vary by store. Since inventory and business conditions cannot be exactly the same every day, each store is given the discretion to determine these details on its own.

E-MART Co., Ltd.(139480)Lotte Mart typically begins end-of-day discounts at 7:00 p.m., three hours before closing. As closing time approaches, discount rates can rise as high as 40%.

At Lotte Mart and Lotte Super, discounts are flexibly adjusted based on the speed at which inventory is sold out, up to a maximum discount rate of 40%. While close-out sales typically begin at 6:00 p.m., they may start as early as 5:00 p.m.—one hour earlier—depending on the characteristics of the commercial district, weather conditions, and sales trends by day of the week.

As high inflation persists, more customers are taking advantage of closing-time discounts at large supermarkets. Lotte Mart and Lotte Super reported that sales of closing-time discount items from January to July of this year increased by about 6% compared to the same period last year. However, since the specific items on sale and other details vary by store, customers often visit a large supermarket without a specific item in mind and simply purchase whatever is on discount.

While end-of-day discounts offer consumers a chance to snag bargains, for large supermarkets, they serve as a stopgap measure to prevent waste. Keeping products on the shelves until the end of the business day attracts customers and boosts purchase satisfaction, but leaving too much excess inventory to be discarded results in direct costs. The key lies in maintaining optimal inventory levels—ensuring customers can purchase desired items at any time while minimizing waste-related losses.

For this reason, E-MART Co., Ltd. has introduced a system called “AI Fresh Markdown” that provides optimal discount rates. This process enhances efficiency by minimizing product waste and improving profits; the AI learns from sales performance data and considers current shelf stock levels to determine the optimal discount rate. The system has currently been implemented in 129 seafood departments and 99 deli departments, and the company plans to expand it to the agricultural, livestock, and non-perishable sectors within the year.