Korea Distribution Association surveys 2,000 adults; 59% back easing or scrapping mandatory closure rules
Six in 10 Koreans believe hypermarkets should be allowed to offer dawn delivery, a new survey shows.
According to a retail industry perception survey commissioned by the Korea Distribution Association and conducted by Winji Korea Consulting, 65 percent of respondents said hypermarkets should be permitted to provide dawn delivery. The results were released Friday.
Among those in favor, the most commonly cited condition was expanding delivery service coverage areas, at 43.5 percent. That was followed by applying the same occupational safety standards as online retailers, at 37.9 percent, and establishing support measures for small and midsize local retailers, at 18.4 percent.
The survey was conducted via mobile web from April 1 to April 5 among 2,000 adults aged 18 and older. The margin of error was plus or minus 2.19 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
The survey also found that 75.8 percent of respondents said they feel the domestic hypermarket industry is in crisis. Some 66.6 percent viewed the ongoing wave of store closures as a problem that is shrinking local community infrastructure. Respondents also expressed concern that continued closures would worsen consumer access to grocery shopping (53.9 percent), local economies and commercial districts (47.7 percent), and regional employment (38.0 percent).
Nearly 70 percent — 69.8 percent — disagreed with the argument that hypermarket regulations are necessary to protect traditional markets and small retailers. On the mandatory closure regime, 59.5 percent supported deregulation or abolition, with 30.8 percent favoring an easing of the rules and 28.7 percent calling for their complete elimination. Only 30.4 percent said the current system should be maintained. However, on restrictions governing the opening of new hypermarket locations, respondents were more divided: 46.5 percent supported tightening or keeping the existing limits, compared with 43.1 percent who backed easing or scrapping them.
korean@heraldcorp.com
