A survey found that more than half of the Korean people want to abolish or ease the regulation of’mandatory closure of large marts’. In addition, there were more opposition to the introduction of complex shopping malls and online shopping regulations.
On the 24th, the Federation of Korean Businessmen announced the results of the’Consumer Perceptions of Distribution Regulations Survey’ commissioned by Mono Research, a specialized market research organization. The survey was conducted through an automated telephone answering system (ARS) targeting 1036 men and women over the age of 18.
58.3% of respondents said that regulations such as the abolition of the mandatory holiday system for hypermarkets or mandatory holiday on weekdays should be relaxed. The obligatory closure system for hypermarkets was created to protect alleys, but only 8.3% of respondents said they visited the traditional market because hypermarkets were not open on public holidays. Only 11.6% of respondents said that regulations should be strengthened, such as expanding the number of mandatory holidays. In addition, 59.5% of respondents found that when visiting a large-scale mart and shopping complex, they visited stores and nearby shopping centers at the same time.
The FKI said, “The effect of protecting traditional markets due to the mandatory closure of large marts is not great.” “The business regulation on large marts and complex shopping malls can damage small business owners and nearby shopping malls.”
In addition, the opposition (49.3%) against the establishment of a new business regulation that is obligated to close on public holidays for the complex shopping malls was also more pronounced (40.5%). In particular, when the analysis targets the respondents (519 people) in the metropolitan area, where a large number of complex shopping malls have entered, the opposition ratio rose to 53.6%.
The most common reason for opposing the complex shopping mall’s business regulation was’consumer benefit protection’ at 44.8%. This was followed by’guarantee of cultural and leisure activities’ (29.9%),’not helping to protect local commercial areas’ (16.8%), and’protection of small business owners and suppliers’ (8.5%).
Respondents saying that business regulations should be implemented are’balanced development of the distribution industry’ (31.0%),’protection of alleys’ (25.1%),’protection of traditional markets’ (22.7%), and’activation of local economy’ (21.2%). I picked the reason.
55.1% of respondents said they hope not to introduce sales regulations for online shopping platforms. The percentage of respondents who wanted to introduce business regulations was 34.0%.
The most common reason for opposing online shopping platform business regulations was 70.6%, citing’consumer convenience protection’. The answer was’advancing the distribution industry’ (15.1%).
Respondents who said they should implement business regulations, 41.2% of the respondents chose it as’protecting local stores and online shopping services’.
The FKI expressed concern over discussions on ways to strengthen distribution regulations, such as business regulations for complex shopping malls, without verifying the effects of existing distribution policies.
FKI Yu Hwan-ik, head of corporate policy, said, “It is time to establish a distribution policy that meets the public’s perspective in consideration of the changing distribution industry environment.”
Reporter Park Sora [email protected]