'Already?' Lotte Mart to launch Chuseok gift pre-orders from Aug. 6

Lotte Mart announced Thursday that it will hold Chuseok gift pre-orders from Aug. 6 to Sept. 16.

The first pre-order phase runs from Aug. 6 to Sept. 4. Customers who spend above a set threshold using a participating card can receive Lotte gift vouchers worth up to 12 million won ($8,180) or an equivalent instant discount. The second phase runs from Sept. 5 to Sept. 11, with benefits of up to 8 million won. The third and final phase, from Sept. 12 to Sept. 16, offers benefits of up to 5 million won. Across all phases, additional perks include discounts of up to 50 percent on select items, exclusive deals for L.Point members, bonus giveaways, and free nationwide delivery on purchases of 30,000 won or more.

The retailer has prepared about 900 varieties of gift sets. In line with a value-for-money consumption trend, it has expanded its budget-friendly product lineup. In the fruit category, it has bolstered gift sets in the 40,000–60,000 won range. The meat and seafood categories have also seen an expansion of gift sets priced under 100,000 won and under 50,000 won. In the meat section, seven new products — including frozen galbi, Hanwoo beef and marinated cuts — have been introduced to meet mid-to-low-price demand under 100,000 won. In the seafood section, a red crab gift set sourced from the East Sea coast with a yield rate of 90 percent or higher — the "Guryongpo Blanched Red Crab Gift Set (around 2 kg)" — will be sold at 44,950 won, a 50 percent discount for L.Point members.

In the nut category, the retailer has added eight more daily nut gift set varieties compared with last Chuseok. The vegetable section will feature mushroom and ginseng gift sets as its main offerings. Processed food and household product gift sets have been curated around items with high demand from corporate and institutional customers, including canned goods, health supplements, and shampoo and body wash. The volume of gift sets for key processed foods such as canned goods and cooking oil has been expanded by more than 10 percent compared with last Chuseok.

On Lotte Mart Zeta, the retailer's online grocery platform, customers who pay with a participating card between 10 a.m. on Aug. 13 and 3 p.m. on Aug. 28 will receive instant discounts — up to 30,000 won on purchases of 100,000 won or more, and up to 1.2 million won on purchases of 300,000 won or more.

"This year's Chuseok lineup was designed with a strong focus on meeting demand from customers who want to shop smart with value-oriented gift sets," said Park Sang-wook, head of strategic marketing at Lotte Mart & Super. "We hope customers take advantage of the pre-order period to prepare their holiday gifts at reasonable prices."