Samsung Electronics' Thanksgiving Festival to run at more than 1,000 stores nationwide, online and offline, for four weeks starting Monday; customers receive digital Onuri gift vouchers worth 20 percent of their purchase; uniformed civil servants get an additional 10 percent discount; company reviewing further measures to expand social contribution
Samsung Electronics is moving to fulfill its pledge to share the fruits of its growth with the public.
The company said it will hold the "Together with the People — Samsung Electronics Thanksgiving Festival" for four weeks starting Monday at more than 1,000 stores nationwide, both online and offline.
The festival is part of a concrete action plan to deliver on Samsung Electronics' promise to expand social contributions by 5 trillion won (approximately $3.24 billion).
Immediately after reaching a labor-management agreement on May 27, Samsung Electronics said it would "ensure that Samsung's growth and achievements create a virtuous cycle not only for its employees but for society as a whole," pledging to raise 5 trillion won over the next five years and invest it in "building a mutually beneficial and healthy ecosystem" and "nurturing future talent."
Samsung Electronics said it is reviewing additional measures — in consultation with its board of directors and compliance committee — to ensure that the company's business performance continues to translate into broader social contributions.
All customers who purchase Samsung Electronics products during the event period will receive digital Onuri gift vouchers equivalent to 20 percent of their purchase amount.
To allow as many people as possible to benefit, Samsung Electronics has expanded the event beyond its own directly operated stores to a wide range of retail channels. Participating locations include more than 400 Samsung stores nationwide, consumer electronics chains such as Electronic Land and Hi-Mart, hypermarkets including E-mart, Homeplus and Costco, and Samsung Electronics counters inside department stores.
The same benefit is available through major domestic online shopping platforms — Samsung.com, the Samsung Electronics business portal, Naver Shopping, Coupang Inc, Gmarket and 11Street.
For mobile products such as smartphones and tablets, customers who purchase a device together with a service plan through SK Telecom, KT Corp or LG Uplus are also eligible for the promotion.
In recognition of the month of national patriotism and veterans' commemoration, Samsung Electronics is offering uniformed civil servants — including military personnel, police officers, firefighters and correctional officers — an additional 10 percent discount on top of the standard benefit, bringing their total to 30 percent. Uniformed civil servants can make purchases through a dedicated page within the "Samsung Electronics Family Mall."
Customers who buy products at any participating online or offline location can apply for their digital Onuri gift vouchers through Samsung.com until Sept. 30. Those who purchased a smartphone or tablet through a carrier can apply via the Samsung.com app on the purchased device.
To apply, customers must enter their purchase details — including the retailer and order number — and submit photos of the product nameplate along with a transaction statement or receipt. For devices activated through a carrier, the application is completed by entering the carrier name and activation date after making the first call.
Digital Onuri gift vouchers will be distributed sequentially to applicants' "Digital Onuri" app accounts approximately two weeks after the application is processed.
The Onuri gift voucher program was introduced in 2009 to revitalize traditional markets. It has since expanded to cover small neighborhood businesses including convenience stores and local restaurants, establishing itself as an everyday currency used by people across the country. Issued by the Small Enterprise and Market Service, the vouchers are spent at traditional markets and small businesses, and have been shown to contribute to local economies and domestic consumption.
According to data on the sales impact of Onuri gift voucher membership published by the agency in March, stores that joined the program saw sales rise by about 4 percent immediately after enrollment. The boost grew over time — 5.0 percent in the first year of membership, 9.2 percent in the second year and 12.2 percent in the third year — with meaningful effects seen across both traditional markets and local small-business stores.
gil@heraldcorp.com
