The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 25th that it will hold the consumer promotion event 'September Collaboration Festival' in conjunction with small business owners from September 1 to September 30.
The Collaboration Festival is a nationwide consumer promotion event involving all economic entities, including the government, major private distribution channels, traditional markets, and shopping streets. This year's festival will include 29,000 online and offline small businesses. It is hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and organized by the Korea SMEs & Startups Distribution & Marketing Agency.
During the September Collaboration Festival, over 26,000 products will be offered at discounts of up to 30% through time deals and exclusive deals on online shopping platforms like Gmarket and Musinsa. The representative small business product of the festival, 'Collaboration Product 100', will be available at special exhibitions on Lotte On and Coupang. Discounts will also be available for products from 400 domestic small businesses on eight global shopping platforms, including Amazon and Taobao.
Offline sales events will also take place. Special sales exhibitions for small business products will be held at the Lotte Department Store's Jamsil and Busan locations, as well as the Shinsegae Department Store in Busan, where customers can receive Onnuri gift certificates. Two hundred neighborhood supermarkets nationwide will conduct a joint sale, offering discounts on over 30 items. Four duty-free shops at Incheon International Airport and six venues including Hyundai Department Store and Happy Department Store will offer discounts or promotional events on more than 700 products.
Consumer events will also be held to revitalize traditional markets and alley businesses. Consumers can receive a 20% return on the increase in their spending compared to their average card usage last year during the months of September to November through the coexistence payback program. Additionally, those who spend more than 50,000 won via card payments will be entered into a draw to receive a total of 1 billion won in prize money in the form of digital Onnuri gift certificates.
An Onnuri gift certificate refund event will be conducted simultaneously. Using digital Onnuri gift certificates, consumers can receive up to 10% cash back on their spending. Refunds will be provided up to a maximum of 20,000 won per week. Notably, for payments made in traditional markets and alley shops in the 49 special disaster areas, consumers can receive a 20% cash back.
Private collaboration events are also prepared. Seven TV home shopping companies, including Public TV Shopping and NS Home Shopping, will hold a coexistence planning exhibition and provide special benefits, including prize events and additional reward points. Moreover, seven credit card companies, including BC, KB Kookmin, and NH Nonghyup, will conduct special events targeting consumers using century-old stores, Onnuri franchise stores, and traditional markets. Kakao will support a 10% discount coupon, up to 3,000 won, that can be used in conjunction with the collaboration festival planning event, while Baemin will offer a 5,000 won pickup service discount coupon for takeout orders in Jeju and special disaster areas.
Minister Han Seong-suk said, "The Collaboration Festival is a platform created by the citizens and small business owners, and I hope this festival solidifies the recovery trend in domestic consumption. Furthermore, I expect it will be a time for rediscovering small business products that have permeated our daily lives. I wish the citizens will share the small stories and care embedded within."