A breakdown of first-half 2026 Saiso sales by age group and category, including farms that exceeded 100 million won in sales. [North Gyeongsang Province]
A breakdown of first-half 2026 Saiso sales by age group and category, including farms that exceeded 100 million won in sales. [North Gyeongsang Province]

Saiso, North Gyeongsang Province's online shopping mall for local farm and specialty products, posted record first-half sales of 24.9 billion won ($16.6 million) in 2026, breaking its own previous high.

The first-half figure of 24.9 billion won surpassed the 23 billion won recorded in the same period last year by 8.3 percent, the provincial government said Monday.

Shoppers in their 40s accounted for the largest share of users at 44.9 percent, followed by those in their 30s at 23.2 percent and those in their 50s at 19.1 percent, making the 30-to-50 age bracket the platform's core customer base.

Purchases through the mobile application rose 8.7 percent, driven by a redesigned user interface and the introduction of simplified payment options following a system overhaul.

Membership also grew, climbing from 273,000 in the first half of last year to 325,000 this year — an increase of more than 50,000.

The most-ordered item in the first half was Mungyeong omija galbi chicken, with 7,205 orders, followed by Andong Baekjinju rice at 4,821, Gyeongju Isageum rice at 3,910, Yecheon water-snail rice at 3,019 and Andong apples at 1,763.

Saiso launched in 2007 as a small online direct-trade marketplace with 200 million won in annual sales. Two decades on, it has grown into a specialized platform for Korean farm and specialty products, with annual sales now exceeding 50 billion won.

"In the second half, we will strengthen planning and promotion that consumers can feel directly, and continue to sharpen Saiso's competitive edge," said Park Chan-guk, director of the North Gyeongsang Province agriculture, livestock and retail bureau.


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com