E-Mart Opens Pre-Orders for New-Harvest Dried Chili Peppers Ahead of Kimchi Season

E-Mart announced on August 2 that it has opened pre-order sales for new-harvest dried chili peppers ahead of the product's official retail launch, using its in-app Orderpick service. The pre-order window runs through September 12, with customers able to pick up their orders in stores between September 27 and 31.

Orderpick, which E-Mart introduced in 2023, lets shoppers place orders through the retailer's mobile app and collect their items directly at a physical store, sidestepping delivery wait times for seasonal or bulk purchases. Dried chili peppers are one of the categories that has proven especially popular through the service, since many households buy large quantities once a year to prepare for kimchi season.

The current promotion features six products sourced from six of Korea's most recognized chili-growing regions: Yeongyang, Cheongyang, Andong and Bonghwa in North Gyeongsang Province, along with Jeongeup and Gochang in North Jeolla Province. The lineup includes sun-dried chili and fire-dried chili peppers at 1.8 kilograms each, standard dried chili at 1.8 kilograms, spicy Cheongyang-variety chili at 1.2 kilograms, and chopped chili peppers offered in both 1.8-kilogram and 3-kilogram packages.

A key feature of this year's event is a free milling service available on every item in the lineup. Customers who prefer not to grind their own peppers at home can request that E-Mart process the order into ready-to-use chili powder before pickup, removing one of the more tedious steps in preparing for kimchi-making.

Kang Deok-han, a buyer at E-Mart, said dried chili peppers are considered essential for households gearing up for kimchi season, but that the washing and milling process has often discouraged shoppers from buying them. Kang added that pairing quality peppers from well-known growing regions with the free milling service and competitive pricing is meant to make the seasonal shopping experience more convenient.

The promotion arrives as E-Mart, Korea's largest discount retailer under the Shinsegae Group and traded under the ticker 139480, continues to expand app-based pre-order features aimed at streamlining seasonal grocery shopping for its customer base.