May 03, 2024

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Models promote 2024 Lunar New Year gift sets at a Homeplus Mega Food Market in Seoul on Wednesday. (Homeplus)

South Korean discount store chain Homeplus on Wednesday said it will start selling 2024 Lunar New Year gift sets from Saturday through Feb. 11, as the season of gift-giving is once again upon us.

During this holiday season, Homeplus offers a curated selection of some 1,060 items at discounts of up to 50 percent.

Based on consumer purchase data collected during about three weeks of pre-orders, the retailer has prepared a variety of gift sets, ranging from budget packages to high-end meat or seafood boxes, along with Homeplus-exclusive items.

Remaining mindful of inflation and the cost of living crisis, about 81 percent of the released gift sets were priced at 50,000 won ($37) or below, allowing consumers to get the best bang for their buck, Homeplus said.

Popular packages such as apples, barbeque pork sets, seaweed and shiitake mushrooms were released at a good price, the company added. Spam sets, a popular holiday gift in Korea, also range from 41,230 won to 45,300 won, offered at about 7 percent of the price of last year’s Chuseok holiday.

Homeplus also rolled out reasonably priced gift packages of wine, probiotics, beauty and personal care items that are only available at the retail chain.

When making a payment with designated cards, customers can receive a discount of up to 50 percent, as well as gift vouchers and additional gifts, based on the transaction amount.

Meanwhile, during the pre-order period -- from Dec. 21 to Jan. 14, Homeplus saw a 242 percent surge in sales across its channels, including its hypermarkets, Homeplus Express supermarkets, and online, compared to the 2023 Lunar New Year season.

“Buoyed by the popularity of pre-orders for New Year’s gift packages, we prepared a diverse range of products for official sales as well,” said Cho Do-youn, head of the Homeplus brand division.

“With a variety of Homeplus New Year’s sets, we hope customers will share holiday gifts without the burden of inflation.”

By Mun So-jeong (munsojeong@heraldcorp.com)