"It was the off-season, and since June the carriers' common subsidies were cut, so business was bad, but since Samsung Electronics started the National Appreciation Festival, the number of people visiting the store has surged."
On the 19th in Sindorim Techno Mart in Guro District, Seoul, a salesperson we met at a mobile carrier store said this. That day, Techno Mart bustled with consumers looking to buy smartphones. At each shop, two to three customers were seated and deep in consultation. From newlyweds pushing a stroller to middle-aged couples and people in their 50s accompanying elderly parents, the age range was diverse. Notices were posted throughout the store saying that through the Samsung Electronics festival, 20% of the purchase amount could be reimbursed with Onnuri gift certificates.
◇ After slumping on subsidy cuts, business rebounds with the Samsung Electronics festival
A mobile carrier shop owner we met at Techno Mart said, "Compared with early June, smartphone sales at Techno Mart stores are up 20% to 30%, and as much as 50% at some places." Another carrier shop employee also said, "Until the new Galaxy Z Fold and Flip models come out, there are no launches, so it's the off-season, and carriers sharply reduced common subsidies in June compared with May, which dampened the store mood," adding, "Fortunately, business picked up as the Samsung Electronics festival began."
Typically, Samsung Electronics unveils new Galaxy S models in February or March, and Apple unveils new iPhones in September. June is an off-season with no new launches after the new school term in March and Family Month in May. This year, it was more subdued after carriers sharply raised common subsidies in May and ran aggressive marketing, but the Samsung Electronics festival has provided relief, according to people on the ground. Although common subsidies fell from the previous month, if buyers receive 20% of the purchase price back in Onnuri gift certificates through the Samsung Electronics festival, the effective price customers bear improves. Since the start of this month, based on the Galaxy S26, SK Telecom and KT cut common subsidies by 100,000 won, and LG Uplus by 200,000 won.
Kim Seong-su, 51, whom we met at Techno Mart, opened a Galaxy S26 line after receiving in-store consultation. Kim said, "I wasn't planning to buy a new smartphone, but after hearing about the Samsung Electronics festival, I came to Techno Mart with my mother," adding, "On top of the carriers' common subsidies, if I get reimbursed with Onnuri gift certificates through the Samsung Electronics festival, the terms look good, so I also replaced my mother's 'filial piety phone' with a Galaxy S26."
◇ On the first day of the event, activations doubled
According to mobile number portability (MNP) performance tallied by carriers, on the 8th, when Samsung Electronics began the festival, there were 33,472 new activations in a single day. That was more than double compared with June 6, just before the event, when there were 13,832. From June 8 to 11, an average of about 26,000 new activations per day were recorded over four days.
Samsung Electronics will run the festival through the 5th of next month. When buying Samsung Electronics' home appliances and mobile products, customers can get back 20% of the purchase amount in digital Onnuri gift certificates. Customers can also receive Onnuri gift certificates when buying unlocked smartphones online, not just at offline carrier stores. Considering that the smartphone purchase amount varies by a user's plan, Samsung Electronics provides Onnuri gift certificates in fixed amounts by model. By model: ▲ Galaxy A37 107,000 won ▲ Galaxy S26 (256G) 235,000 won ▲ Galaxy Z Flip7 (256GB) 263,000 won ▲ Galaxy Z Fold7 (256G) 429,000 won.
Some distributors promoted that under certain conditions, customers could buy the Galaxy S26 as a "chabi phone" (a device sold with a premium kicked back as a travel-expense incentive) when activating a line. One distributor at Sindorim Techno Mart advertised that, under conditions of using a high-priced plan and keeping add-on services, customers switching their number to LG Uplus could activate a Galaxy S26 while receiving a 200,000 won chabi incentive, and, separately, receive 235,000 won in Onnuri gift certificates through the Samsung Electronics festival. With the Onnuri gift certificates added, that amounts to benefits totaling 435,000 won.