Input 2021.02.06 06:00
Lotte Chilsung “recovered all”… Uniqlo ad, Lotte Mart guide dog controversy
More activist consumers…Quick apology and resolution are the answer
Lotte Chilsung (005300)The drink was engulfed in controversy over the Milkis Gift. This is because the phrase’happy chinese new year’ was written on the New Year’s pocket money envelope provided when you purchase Milkis.
This fact was made known by consumers posting posts online. One consumer said, “I just bought a milk kit plastic bottle at a mart and it was written on the New Year’s pocket money bag,” he said. .
In response, consumers pointed out that the Chinese characters on the envelopes are also written in simplified Chinese characters, Chinese New Year’s greetings, not the Chinese New Year (謹賀新年) used in Korea. The company said, “Some branches have held their own (Milkis free gift) event, but the working-level staff seems to have not been able to check it thoroughly,” he explained, saying, “We will collect the entire amount.”
This is not the first time Lotte has made a mistake. In November of last year, an employee of the Jamsil branch of Lotte Mart, Seoul, was criticized as a witness spread on social media that he blocked guide dogs with disabilities during training. The staff blocked the admission of the guide dog and screamed at the volunteer (Puppy Walker) who brought the guide dog.
At the time, an eyewitness said, “(The staff member) raised his voice to ask what to do if he brought a puppy, and the aunt who brought the puppy cried.
Lotte Mart issued an apology and said, “I acknowledge that I did not consider Gyeongju’s position in the process of dealing with Puppy Walkers and accompanying customers, and bow down and apologize.” I will clarify and take active measures so that the same case does not occur.”
When the girl asked, “It’s a great style. How did you wear it when I was my age,” the grandmother replied, “Oh my God, do you remember more than 80 years?” Eighty years ago, during the Japanese colonial rule in 1939, Japan started compulsory conscription by Koreans based on the Total Mobilization Act.
There was a boycott of Uniqlo among consumers, and courier drivers refused to deliver Uniqlo. UNIQLO said, “The advertisement has no relation to any political or religious issues, beliefs, or groups,” and said, “A lot of people will take the part that feels uncomfortable and stop the advertisement immediately.”
However, it was not possible to turn the hearts of consumers back. FRL Korea, which operates UNIQLO, posted an operating loss of 88.3 billion won from September 2019 to August 2020. Sales were 629.7 billion won, down 54% from the same period last year. UNIQLO had 198 stores nationwide in 2019, but it closed 35 stores in 1 year and 6 months, and 10 more stores will be closed this month. In December of last year, the largest store in Korea, the Myeongdong Jungang Store, also withdrew.
Professor Kim Kyung-ja of the Department of Consumer Affairs at Catholic University said, “If it spreads as a fault of the entire company, anger among activist consumers can increase,” he said. “We should apologize as soon as possible and collect the problematic gift.” Professor Kim advised, “It is not just a collection line, but other emotions that can offset the controversy should be returned to the consumer.”