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wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

Discount stores underestimated U.S. beef sales
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2897946

November 29, 2008
The size of U.S. beef sales surprised discount chain stores when the product went on sale on Thursday for the first time since imports resumed in June.

The discount chains said they expected to sell a total of 37.3 tons, anticipating a less than favorable response from the public following opposition to the resumption of U.S. imports this year.

But the chains sold a total of 50.1 tons of U.S. beef on Thursday, 33 percent more meat than expected.

E-Mart, the leading discount chain, sold 20 tons of U.S. beef on Thursday, according to the discount chains. Homeplus and Lotte Mart, the other leading chains, sold 21.6 tons 8.5 tons, respectively. In response to discount chains starting to sell U.S. beef, Australian beef sellers offered discounts through E-Mart, Homeplus and Lotte Mart on the same day.

Industry experts predict that the local beef market will become a battlefield between U.S. and Australian beef.

Meanwhile, sales of hanwoo (Korean beef) and pork fell on Thursday from a week ago. The nation�s hanwoo sellers plan to offer discounts of 20 percent to 50 percent through next week.

By Sung So-young Staff Reporter [[email protected]]

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

caniff · Joined: 03 Feb 2004 Location: All over the map

sarbonn · Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Location: Michigan

Basically, it's going to be a contest between nationalism ("Keep the evil US tainted beef out of our perfect country") and consumerism ("What the hell? You're charging us MORE for crappier beef just because it's produced here???").

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

caniff · Joined: 03 Feb 2004 Location: All over the map

Milwaukiedave · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Location: Goseong

It's good to hear US beef is back on the shelf again. I'm frankly surprised a store hasn't been burned down over it. I'm headed to E-Mart tonight and will look to see if they have any beef left after the massive sales this week.

sarbonn · Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Location: Michigan

I actually couldn't find it at my Emart. But that doesn't mean because they didn't have it, but I'm not exactly sure how they label it. I didn't see anything with a USDA sticker on it, nor did I see the Korean symbol for instant death, so I'm not sure what it would have looked like.

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

E-mart? Visited it today. One freezer section should have American beef. There are different prices for different cuts, but I know I saw one price was 1350/100 grams.

cangel · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: Jeonju, S. Korea

Hanwoo beef is such ----! How anyone can think that Hanwoo is better tasting than US or Aussie beef is beyond me. That's the spin the PR people have to promote in order to sell this over-priced crud! By far the tastiest meat belongs to the Japanese premium brands like Matuzaka and Kobe. However, I'm not willing to pay $200/lb for it...

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

More Koreans are in favor of American beef when compared to say four months ago. After people kept on getting in trouble and getting sued for fabricating stories and their distortions came out in the open, more people began to feel that buying American beef is okay. Some also know that some Korean doctors said it was okay to consume American beef.
Of course, there is always a risk of getting sick, but the risk is extremely low.