The festival will last from July 21 to Sept. 12 and over 5,000 stores in Seoul are participating in the festival

Membership cards, mobile coupons and augmented reality applications for smart phones will be provided for international shoppers

To attract international shoppers to Seoul, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will also promote the Grand Sale festival through social media networking sites such as YouTube and Twitter

Various events and promotions on Seoul’s streets will brighten up the festival atmosphere  

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Tourism Organization will feature the “Seoul Grand Sale 2010,” which will take place from, July 21 to Sept. 12 around Seoul. Over 5,000 companies covering beauty, shopping, food, culture, tourism, health care and accommodations are participating in one of the world’s best shopping festivals.

The Seoul Grand Sale debuted in 2008 in efforts to boost Seoul’s image as one of the most desirable destination for international shoppers, heighten Seoul’s shopping tourism competitiveness, and revitalize the domestic tourism. The shopping festival has evolved over the years and this year’s festival will welcome local and international shoppers with some improvements.

The number of companies participating in the Seoul Grand Sale jumped dramatically. Last year, 810 stores covering beauty, shopping, food, culture, tourism, health care and accommodations participated in the annual shopping festival but this year over 5,000 stores are participating. Local and international shoppers are expected to enjoy substantial benefits during the shopping festival period as popular stores such as convenience stores, duty free shops, and coffee shops are also participating. 

The Seoul Grand Sale 2010 will also expand its scope this year. The Seoul city government said this year’s festival will not only feature various events such as a grand opening ceremony and street events in Seoul’s major tourism zones, but also enable shoppers to experience the capital city where future and the past coexist by utilizing its various tourism resources with the cooperation of related organizations. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to distinguish the festival from a simple bargain event and make it a fresh mixture of tourism, culture, and shopping.

To lure shoppers from around the world and make their stay in Seoul comfortable and convenient, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will launch a social media ad campaign. This year, the city government plans to make the best use of domestic and international social media networking sites such as blogs and Twitter for promotion. It will also strengthen its promotion efforts on its YouTube page, given that videos from last year’s festival were well received by international shoppers.

Last but not least, the Seoul city government will provide special coupons for the top 20 popular chain stores in the shopping, food, and tourism sectors. The government will provide shoppers with mobile coupons and a special membership card good at these “Big 20” stores, in addition to the paper discount coupons. To target a growing number of smart phone users, the city government will also launch an augmented reality application that will enable shopper to locate stores easily and efficiently with their phones.

An official with the Seoul Tourism Organization said “The Seoul Grand Sale 2010 will benefit a variety of groups as it will revitalize domestic demand and the tourism industry, offer special price markdowns to local and international shoppers, and grant participating stores a chance to improve their visibility internationally and raise their revenue in sales in the off-season.”

“The Seoul city government will work hard to prepare for the shopping festival so that people who visit Seoul during the 54-day festival in the future will be fascinated by Seoul’s alluring points.”