The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 14th that the September Companion Festival held 4th posted sales of 663.4 billion won.
In addition to direct sales of 630.7 billion won from the online sales fair and 32.7 billion won from the offline sales fair, 485.6 billion won in Onnuri gift certificates and 241.2 billion won in regional love gift certificates were sold, which was seen as reinvigorating the domestic market.
The Companion Festival is a nationwide consumption-promotion event held online and offline to boost domestic consumption and increase sales for small merchants. This September festival, along with the distribution of livelihood recovery consumption coupons, carried out nationwide linked events and various promotions to spread a reviving consumption mood.
In the online sales fair, 27,000 companies participated across e-commerce, TV home shopping, and traditional market malls, achieving total sales of 630.7 billion won.
The "Companion Products 100" special exhibition on Lotte ON stood out as it established itself as the flagship online sales fair of the Companion Festival. Among sales from Aug. 30 to Sept. 30, Dong-A Food's Kimgane Table pork bone soup posted 26 times the sales year over year, and Hojung Food's Old-fashioned Donas recorded more than 13 times the sales year over year, marking their best performance since entering Lotte ON.
The Companion Products 100 special exhibition on Coupang also drew attention. In this exhibition held from Sept. 1 to 30, Dajeonghan Market (pet snack chews) posted 64 million won in sales, and Bushman (waterproof sunscreen) posted 60 million won.
The offline sales fair achieved total sales of 32.7 billion won through 144 local events and policy stores. In particular, because the September Companion Festival aims to restore nationwide consumption and energize small merchants, it increased the share of events in non-capital regions and population-declining areas to broaden connections with local commercial districts and consumers.
The opening ceremony was held as a side event of the APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Ministers' Meeting at the International Convention Center Jeju, and concluded successfully with a total of 18,000 visitors. In the sales fair, 51 small merchants from the Jeju area participated and achieved 85 million won in sales.
The "win-win consumption lottery," prepared to promote spending at traditional markets and small merchant stores, and various consumption-promotion events led by private companies were also held. The win-win consumption lottery is an event that awards a total of 1 billion won in digital Onnuri gift certificates through a drawing for card payments of 50,000 won or more at stores such as traditional markets and small merchants. This event, held from Sept. 1 to Oct. 12, drew a total of 10 million entries, and after announcing the winners at the end of October, prizes will be distributed in November.
Seven TV home shopping companies held win-win special exhibitions and provided various special benefits, such as prize events and additional reward points, to expand sales of products from small and medium-sized enterprises and small merchants. Seven credit card companies strengthened cashback and discount benefits for consumers using Century-old Store and Onnuri gift certificate affiliates, taking the lead in revitalizing neighborhood commercial districts.
Choi Won-young, director general for small merchant policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, "At the end of October, the government will integrate existing discount festivals such as the Companion Festival, Korea Sale Festa, and Duty Free Festa to hold the Korea Grand Festival, a large-scale national discount festival," and added, "We will prepare meticulously to provide real help to the public through a variety of consumer benefits."