By Yun Suh-young
The closure of large discount stores is not only causing inconvenience to customers, but also is not helpful for small mom-and-pop stores.
Over 110 discount malls and 334 smaller retailers, better known as “super supermarkets” (SSMs) nationwide closed for the day as a new law prohibits them from opening every second and fourth Sunday of the month. They are operated by retail chains such as E-Mart, Lotte Mart and Home Plus.
With the implementation of the revised Distribution Industry Development Law, about 30 percent of the discount stores, blamed for threatening the businesses of mom-and-pop stores and traditional markets will not be operating every other Sunday.
But in contrast to what the law intended, small mom-and-pop stores are complaining that sales at their businesses have not increased because of the closure.
An owner of a small store next to a major discount store located in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, said she was hit severely by its closure.
“You’d think that small shops would do better when the large discount stores shut down, but it’s just the opposite. Stores like ours, which is located right beside to a discount store, do better when it is for open business. It’s because their customers come to my store when they’re looking for specific items that cannot be found there,” she said.
Another retailer at a traditional market who declined to be named also said, “I don’t think the forced closure will be a fundamental solution to reinvigorating the businesses of traditional markets.”
Customers are also doubtful that the measure will make them head to traditional markets or mom-and-pop stores.
“If it were me, I’d stock up on the items that I need in advance from the large discount stores. I’d go shopping in advance to get prepared for the closure,” said Chung, in her 50s.
The government has been introducing a series of moves designed to protect small shops from the threat of out-of-town superstores. Such stores have been subject to sensitive political debate amid increasing scrutiny over how big businesses are encroaching on markets traditionally occupied by small merchants.
Twitter user Yoon Ju-jin said, “I don’t think the sales of the mom-and-pop stores will increase following the closure of the SSMs. Users of the discount stores will simply delay their purchase for a day or two. The government’s new measure doesn’t seem very realistic.”
Another tweeter, @reem***, said, “How many of the customers will head to mom-and-pop stores? They’ll probably turn to grocery stores at department stores or go to the agricultural cooperatives. The closure of SSMs has nothing to do with a sales increase at the mom-and-pop stores.”
Meanwhile, the large discount stores are moving to open the stores 30 minutes to an hour earlier as a measure to compensate for their loss on closing Sundays. Home Plus already moved up the opening hours to 8 a.m. from 10 a.m. in a few of their chain stores and E-mart and Lotte Mart are also looking to bring forward the opening hours by 30 minutes to an hour.