[Edaily Reporter Han Jeon-jin ] “I heard Hanwoo beef is half price, so I couldn’t just pass it up. I usually can’t eat it often because of the price, but today I’m buying plenty to grill with my family.”

10:00 a.m. on the 30th at the E-MART Co., Ltd.(139480) Yongsan branch in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. About 100 people, who had arrived with shopping carts before the store even opened, lined up at the entrance to the B2 level. As soon as the doors opened, the crowd surged toward the meat section. The aisles in front of the half-price Hanwoo and pork belly displays were already blocked by customers holding two or three packs each as they selected items, and store clerks were constantly restocking empty spots with new trays. Ms. Kim, a woman in her 50s who said she had come out specifically for this, was filling her cart with Hanwoo beef and LA-style short ribs. “A single grocery trip easily costs over 100,000 won, but buying everything at once like this makes it more affordable,” she said.

#Shinsegae Co.,Ltd.’s “SSG Day,” its biggest annual discount event, kicked off today. Nineteen affiliates—including E-MART Co., Ltd., Shinsegae Department Store, SSG.com, Gmarket, Starfield, and Starbucks—will participate for ten days through the 8th of next month. E-MART Co., Ltd. has extended the event period from four days last year to ten days this year. The event also coincides with the return of Shinsegae Co.,Ltd. Chairman Chung Yong-jin to E-MART Co., Ltd. Chairman Chung, who was nominated as a co-CEO of E-MART Co., Ltd. on the 23rd, will return as CEO for the first time in 13 years following next year’s shareholders’ meeting. The event has drawn attention as it marks the first major promotion ahead of his official return.

E-MART Co., Ltd. is focusing on food discounts for the first three days. When paying with a promotional card, all Hanwoo beef items are sold at half price, and domestically produced pork belly and pork neck are discounted by 40% when Shinsegae Co.,Ltd. Points are accumulated. The company secured 160 metric tons (t) of Hanwoo beef—its largest volume this year—and released approximately 40 metric tons on the first day alone. It also increased the supply of pork belly and pork neck by 1.5 times compared to last year, preparing 236 metric tons of pork belly alone for stores nationwide that day. A 2-kilogram package of thinly sliced Spanish pork belly was priced at 699 won per 100 grams.

Customers looking to stock up on discounted items all at once were also noticeable. Mr. Lee, a man in his 30s, said, “I had to double-check the price tag when I saw the thinly sliced pork belly was 699 won per 100g.” He added, “I came just to buy meat, but special-offer items like a 4-serving jumbo ramen pack and a 1-kg kimchi fried rice kept catching my eye, so I feel like I shopped much more economically than usual.”

The atmosphere in the home appliances and digital section was different. While the food section was bustling with middle-aged shoppers, men in their 30s and 40s were lining up here. The 27-inch “GREAT Portable Screen UHD” (599,000 won), limited to 5,000 units nationwide, sold out at the Yongsan branch within an hour of opening. The limited-edition camping set, “Max XDOD Black Rabbit Pocha Edition,” also gained popularity through word of mouth in camping communities, with all 4,000 sets nationwide selling out in just two hours.

SSG Day began in 2019 when Shinsegae Co.,Ltd consolidated discount events across its subsidiaries. Sales, which stood at 500 billion won in the first year, exceeded 1.7 trillion won in 2023 and surpassed 2 trillion won in 2024. Now that Chairman Jeong—who has long emphasized “ultra-low prices”—is taking a more active role in the management of E-MART Co., Ltd., efforts to expand discounts through bulk purchasing and develop co-branded products with manufacturers are expected to accelerate. The role of “Ssuk Day,” the flagship event, is also expected to grow even further.

Competitors have also launched countermeasures. Lotte Mart is holding its “Mega Tongkeun” event from the 29th of this month through the 11th of next month, offering all Grade 1 Hanwoo beef products at half price when paid with a promotional card through the 4th of next month. Homeplus is also offering a 50% discount on all Hanwoo beef items to My Homeplus members through the 1st of next month. Coupang will hold “Wow Members’ Day” from the 2nd to the 8th of next month, offering Wow members discounts of up to 70% on approximately 370,000 items, including food, household goods, and home appliances.

A Shinsegae Co.,Ltd official stated, “At E-MART Co., Ltd., which kicked off ‘Ssuk Day,’ we’ve carefully prepared a full lineup of unbeatable discounts, along with limited-edition and special products exclusive to Ssuk Day, so customers can fully enjoy the shopping experience for the entire 10 days,” adding, “We hope customers will take full advantage of this year’s most generous shopping benefits, which Shinsegae Co.,Ltd has spent a year preparing.”