Retail Co-prosperity Council releases 2026 regional contribution survey

15 companies, 151 stores across Busan department stores and hypermarkets assessed

Shinsegae named top performer for 5th consecutive year, Mega Mart for 3rd

A meeting of the Busan Retail Industry Co-prosperity Council is held at Busan City Hall on Thursday. [Provided by Busan city government]
A meeting of the Busan Retail Industry Co-prosperity Council is held at Busan City Hall on Thursday. [Provided by Busan city government]

Shinsegae Department Store and Mega Mart have been named the top performers in co-prosperity cooperation among large retailers in Busan. The city announced the results Thursday at a meeting of the Busan Retail Industry Co-prosperity Council, releasing findings from its "2026 Regional Contribution Survey," which assessed 2025 performance data.

The regional contribution survey has been conducted annually since 2009 to assess how large retailers give back to the local community and to promote co-prosperity with local society. This year's survey covered 151 stores operated by 15 companies, including department stores and hypermarkets in the region.

The evaluation framework consists of eight indicators across two categories: regional contribution and co-prosperity cooperation. The regional contribution category covers three items — local workforce employment, use of regional banks, and participation in public-interest projects and co-prosperity initiatives. The co-prosperity cooperation category covers five items — supply of local products, entry of local businesses into stores, permanent local product sections, special local product exhibitions, and use of external service contractors.

Survey results showed the local workforce employment rate held steady at 97.9 percent, roughly in line with last year's 98 percent. The share of local businesses given store space rose 2.1 percentage points to 11.1 percent from 9 percent the previous year, indicating a modest expansion of sales channels for local small and medium-sized merchants. However, the share of locally sourced product supply by value came in at 32.8 percent, falling short of the 33.5 percent target. The city said it would continue urging the retail industry to work harder to expand sales channels for local products.

Shinsegae Department Store, named the top co-prosperity performer among large retailers, received high marks for its public-interest activities — including promotional support for Dongbaek Sanghoe, a platform helping Busan-area small and medium-sized enterprises expand their sales channels, sponsorship of major local festivals, and scholarship support for underprivileged children. Shinsegae has been recognized as a top performer for five consecutive years from 2022 through this year, earning credit for its consistent efforts toward co-prosperity with the local community.

Mega Mart earned its third consecutive top-performer designation for its operation of a permanent local product section and its support for traditional market events in partnership with Dongrae Market. The city credited the chain's community-oriented co-prosperity activities — maintaining a dedicated channel to introduce local products to consumers year-round and collaborating with a nearby traditional market on events — for its strong scores.

At the council meeting, the city again urged large retailers to deepen their co-prosperity cooperation with the local community. The city said it plans to continue recognizing and rewarding top performers while expanding collaboration with local society to support the balanced growth of the regional retail industry.

"Large retailers and local small and medium-sized merchants are important partners who drive the local economy together," said Park Dong-seok, director of the Busan city government's Civic Economy Bureau. "We will continue working closely with the retail industry to ensure that co-prosperity cooperation is something the local community can genuinely feel."


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com