CHANGWON — Four tourism companies from South Gyeongsang Province will put 25 products on sale at department store venues in the Seoul metropolitan area.
South Gyeongsang Province said on the 23rd that it will take part in "Local-Ieum Market: Season 2," a joint pop-up store run by tourism business support centers nationwide, together with four tourism companies based in the province. The provincial participation is organized by the South Gyeongsang Tourism Business Support Center under the Gyeongnam Tourism Foundation.
The Local-Ieum Market is a pop-up store operated by the Korea Tourism Organization in partnership with Hyundai Department Store. It was created to promote the joint brand of eight regional tourism business support centers and to help the tourism companies they nurture find new sales channels. Season 2 involves 21 companies from across the country and runs both an online special sale and offline pop-up stores through Nov. 8.
The online sale will be held at The Hyundai Hi Mall for the entire period, allowing shoppers to buy participating companies' products regardless of where they live.
The offline pop-up stores will open in two rounds of three days each. The first runs from Oct. 23 to 25 at the EAST Wing event zone of Hyundai Premium Outlet's Gimpo store, and the second from Nov. 6 to 8 at the outdoor plaza on the first floor of the Garden Five store.
The four companies from South Gyeongsang are Dad's Sweet Farm (Uiryeong; tea and snacks made from Smilax china leaves), Byeoljaei Market (brand name Scentslog, Sacheon; air fresheners), Soiji (Gimhae; soy milk) and Localer (character goods). Together they will showcase 25 products made with local farm produce and other regional resources.
Consumer events will also run during the period. Shoppers who follow the South Gyeongsang Tourism Business Support Center's official Instagram account and vote in the comments for their favorite product will be entered into a drawing for department store gift certificates. At the offline venues, customers who spend above a set amount will receive a tarpaulin bag on a first-come, first-served basis. The center said it plans to use consumer feedback gathered on site to help participating companies improve their products and to support follow-up sales channels.
"We hope this pop-up store, which brings together tourism business support centers from across the country, becomes an occasion for tourism companies in the province to meet consumers in the Seoul metropolitan area directly," said Bae Jong-cheon, chief executive of the Gyeongnam Tourism Foundation. "We will continue our support for expanding sales channels."
Kim Sang-won, director general of the provincial tourism development bureau, said the event is "a good opportunity for tourism companies in the province to test their competitiveness in the Seoul metropolitan market," adding, "We will provide continued support so that this participation leads to corporate growth."