[News Today] Discount shopping on the rise

[LEAD]
Lately, prices have been climbing fast, especially for breads, processed foods like ramyeon, and even meals eaten out.
With more people trying to cut back on food costs, a growing number of platforms are offering steep discounts on items close to expiration or left unsold.

[REPORT]
At night in a convenience store in downtown Seoul.

A customer heads to the checkout counter.

"I came for closing-time discounts."

After showing the barcode, the staff immediately hands over a packaged gimbap set.

The pre-ordered meal has just one hour left before its expiration.

End-of-day discount services offering up to 45% off saw this store have a 71% sales jump in a year.

Hwang Ho-sung / Office worker
Dinner’s expensive these days, so this saves money and feels like good value.

At a bakery nearing closing time.

Unsold bread made that day is packed into shopping bags.

Bread worth over 12,000 won, or about 9 U.S. dollars, becomes half-price when packed in this shopping bag.

The leftover bread is sold via a closing-time discount app launched last year.

With both customers and stores satisfied, the number of users has surpassed 140,000.

Ha Joo-hee / Office worker
It only costs between 5,000 won and 7,000 won for 3 or 4 pieces of bread. It is good to buy bread cheap.

A subscription service for buying flawed farm produce at cheaper prices is also popular.

Products left unsold due to unattractive appearance are sold 20–30% cheaper than market price.

Choi Hyun-joo / Startup CEO
People feel good knowing their purchases not only help themselves but also support farmers and the environment.

Once seen as just a smart way to save, discounted leftover food is now expanding into value-driven, ethical consumption.

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