Lotte Mart kicks off second-half 'Tongkeun Day' sale to fight summer heat, high prices

Lotte Mart will hold its first "Tongkeun Day" sale of the second half from Thursday through Sunday, the retailer said.

"Tongkeun Day" is a monthly signature event that Lotte Mart and Lotte Super have run since the start of this year. Cumulative sales from the first half were up 11 percent year on year, with the February edition posting a nearly 50 percent increase over the same event a year earlier.

The sale leads with stamina foods at steep discounts. Cleaned freshwater eel (Japanese variety, 100 grams, domestic) will be available for 2,980 won (about $2) to customers paying with a promotional card. Wando abalone — extra-large, four pieces, domestic — will be sold at 9,600 won, a 50 percent discount for promotional card holders. Chicken stew cuts (900 grams, chilled, domestic) will go for 5,990 won, while a larger whole chicken (1.1 kilograms, chilled, domestic) will be priced at 8,490 won.

Seasonal produce will also feature prominently. All watermelon varieties will receive a 10,000 won discount for promotional card payments. Whole "Tongkeun" watermelons weighing at least 6 kilograms will be offered at a daily special price of 9,990 won on Thursday and Saturday only. All peach varieties will be discounted by 5,000 won for L.Point members, and Chodang sweet corn (domestic) will be priced at 990 won per ear when buying five or more.

At the meat counter, grade-1 Hanwoo sirloin, soup cuts and bulgogi (each 100 grams, chilled, domestic) will be half price for promotional card holders. Imported pork samgyeopsal, shoulder, jowl and back ribs (each 100 grams, chilled) will be available at up to 50 percent off for all L.Point members, limited to two packs per person.

On the weekend — Saturday and Sunday — shoppers can mix and match snacks at a discount. Picking 10 or more items from the full range of ice cream cones, tubes, bars and sandwiches will earn a 50 percent discount, while choosing any 15 from 59 snack varieties will bring the total to 9,900 won.

"We are focused on maximizing the benefits customers actually feel, and we will run this as a practical, everyday-shopping event that makes a real difference in people's lives," said Shim Yeong-jun, head of the sales and marketing team at Lotte Mart and Lotte Super.