Try finding good deals at Korea Grand Sale

A banner welcoming foreign tourists is seen outside Hyundai Department Store in Apgujeong, Seoul, left, and a Korea Grand Sale sign is seen in Myeong-dong, Seoul. / Korea Times photos by Cathy Rose A. Garcia

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia

The Korea Grand Sale 2011, dubbed as the biggest national shopping and tourism festival, kicked off last week.

With around 13,000 stores, including major retailers such as Lotte and Shinsegae, participating around the country, expectations are running high for the Korea Grand Sale.

The campaign, which runs for 43 days from Jan. 10 to Feb. 28, is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Visit Korea Committee. Most of the promotions are centered on the ``Big 20’’ or the biggest department stores: Lotte, Shinsegae, Hyundai and Galleria; supermarkets E Mart and Lotte Mart, as well as duty free shops, hotels and a few restaurants.

The concept of the Korea Grand Sale is not original, since it is obviously patterned after the hugely successful ``The Great Singapore Sale,” ``Hong Kong Grand Sale’’ and ``Amazing Thailand Grand Sale,’’ which usually offer up to 80 percent discounts.

On paper, the Korea Grand Sale 2011 seems like a good idea: hold a big, nationwide ``sale’’ event to attract foreigners and tourists and encourage them to shop until they drop.

But are there really great deals that will attract foreigners and make Korea a retail heaven?

Get the coupon

Before you go out shopping, you should have the Korea Grand Sale coupon.

It is best to print the coupon from the website (www.koreagrandsale.or.kr), download the iPhone application or get one from the tourism information booths, travel agents and department stores’ information desks.

This coupon can only be used at shops registered with the Korea Grand Sale, and it cannot be used along with other discount cards.

Last year, the Grand Sale was criticized for being too Lotte-centric. So this time, other major department stores were invited to participate. Department stores are offering 10 to 40 percent discounts, although certain brands are excluded, and free gifts to lure in foreign customers.

At Lotte Department Store, one has to show the Korea Grand Sale coupon at the information desk to be able to receive the special Lotte discount voucher.

The Korea Times visited Lotte Department Store in Sogong-dong, Monday, but an information desk staffer said the Lotte discount vouchers were not yet available. It was disappointing that one of the major department stores was not prepared on the first day of the Korea Grand Sale.

Even the process of getting the Lotte discount vouchers was troublesome. One has to visit the customer service center (11th floor) to get a flimsy booklet of coupons that can be used throughout the store. It turns out the coupons are for “deals” like a 10,000 won seaweed set, 80,000 won Sulhwasoo serum set, 990,000 won coat and 2.39 million won diamond ring set. Plus it turns out each store is only allowed to sell a limited number of items at the discounted price.

At Lotte, more purchases mean free gifts. Those who spend more than 300,000 won can choose a free gift: 15,000 won gift certificate, a silver card case, or two packs of kimchi, while those with more than 2 million won in total purchases can receive a 100,000 won gift certificate.

On the other hand, Shinsegae Department Store and Hyundai Department Store were ready with banners, pamphlets and cards to give to foreign tourists.

At Shinsegae Department Store in Myeong-dong, an English-speaking staff member promptly handed out the Korea Grand Sale card to inquiring foreign tourists. Discounts at various brands at Shinsegae ranged from 10 to 30 percent, but it was not clear whether the Korea Grand Sale card will provide additional discounts on top of already discounted items for foreign customers.

Even though prices of sale items are marked down by 20 or 30 percent, the prices are still quite high.

A pair of Tory Burch Reva flats that usually sell for $235 (approximately 264,000 won) in the U.S., are being sold for 438,000 won (approximately $388) in Korea. Even with 20 percent off, the ``sale’’ price was not even equal to the original U.S. retail price.

At Hyundai Department Store in Apgujeong, there was a big banner welcoming foreign tourists to the Korea Grand Sale. Staff members had pamphlets and cards ready for foreign shoppers.

Hyundai Department Store is already in the midst of its regular ``Power Sale” where brands such as Bean Pole, Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Vivienne Westwood, Ferragamo and Paul Smith are offering 30 percent off.

In the pamphlet, it says that Hyundai Department Store will give a free gift of a key ring when one visits the store, but there were none available on the first day.

Some Korean customers might complain about the ``special’’ discounts for foreigners, but these are something they are already used to because of their membership with department stores and supermarkets.

Useless internet deals

Lotte.com and Lotte Homeshopping (www.lotteimall.com) will also give 10 percent discount on all items, as long as the foreign tourist presents the Korea Grand Sale coupon. Lotte.com provides a 5,000 won discount for purchases over 50,000 won.

Both the Lotte website and its home shopping channel are only in Korean. It is also highly unlikely that a foreign tourist, who is only in town for a few days, will go to these websites and order items. What is the point of giving these discounts when a foreigner cannot even understand the website’s content?

Other deals

The duty free shops of Donghwa, Paradise, Duty Free Korea, The Shilla, Walkerhill and Lotte, are offering smaller discounts of 5 to 10 percent. However, the Korea Grand Sale coupon cannot be used with other promotions.

Even in posh Cheongdam, tourists can get a 10 percent discount on international brands managed by Shinsegae International such as Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Coach, 3.1 Phillip Lim, The Gap and Banana Republic.

Even supermarket chains E Mart and Lotte Mart are offering discounts. E Mart offers 3,000 won off purchases over 50,000 won, and a free seaweed set for purchases over 100,000 won.

Both Lotte Mart and Home Plus require presenting the Korea Grand Sale coupon to the information desk before receiving the cash voucher.

Food and entertainment

The Korea Grand Sale seems to be only promoting a limited selection of restaurants such as Bulgogi Brothers, TGI Friday's, Angel-in-us-Coffee, Lotteria, Krispy Kreme and Ho Bar. It would have been more appropriate if more Korean restaurants were included, as a way to promote Korean cuisine among international tourists.

At Lotteria, one can get a free chicken fillet when ordering a Hanwoo Bulgogi Combo Set or Hanwoo Lady Burger Set. But the offer is only limited to branches directly managed by Lotteria (look for the Korea Grand Sale sign at the entrance), and not the franchised outlets.

Krispy Kreme, another Lotte-controlled franchise, gives a free glazed doughnut and small coffee when you buy a dozen doughnuts.

A purchase of an Angel-in-us Coffee tumbler will get you a free Café Americano. But this offer is limited to selected participating branches that have the Korea Grand Sale sign.

Tourists can also receive discounts at various theme parks, performances, museums and casinos. There are also discounts on money exchanges and transfer charges at Hana Bank and Woori Bank.

Independent travelers can also take advantage of the ``One More Night” promotion at various hotels. An extra night’s accommodation is free when booking 3 or 4 nights during the Korea Grand Sale. Hotels are also offering discounts on room rates, food and beverages, among other things.

Nothing grand about the ‘Sale’

The Korea Grand Sale seems only to be good on paper. The department stores only offer 10 to 40 percent discounts, which are not really good deals. Tourists from the U.S., Hong Kong, Singapore and countries, who are used to 50 to 70 percent discounts, may still find the prices at department stores quite high.

Most of the department store sales only run until the end of January, so what do foreign tourists have to look forward to when the sale period ends? The Korea Grand Sale runs through the end of February, so it will be curious to see if there are still any good deals left by then.

It seems organizers have forgotten that the main point is to provide bargains for shoppers. If there are no really good bargains offered by Korean retailers then what is the point of spending millions to promote the Korea Grand Sale?