A Study on the Success Factors of Local Agricultural Shopping Mall 'Saiso' - From a platform sustainability perspective

Since 2020, online sales of agri-food products have increased significantly, with public shopping malls showing notable differences in performance depending on the administrative and operational capabilities of local governments. This study aims to derive practical and policy implications by analyzing the case of Gyeongsangbuk-do’s ‘Saiso,’ a local government-run agricultural platform that has demonstrated stable and continuous growth. The research identifies three major strategies that contributed to Saiso’s success. First, the integration and centralized operation of municipal and county-level shopping malls enabled economies of scale and expanded support for local farms. Second, the delegation of operations to a specially established local government corporation allowed for flexible and proactive execution of business activities such as live commerce, promotional campaigns, and global market entry. Third, Saiso’s open market-type logistics structure, characterized by low commission fees and increased bargaining power with delivery service providers, helped reduce logistics costs. These findings suggest that continued platform integration and strategic policy support from local governments are essential for the sustainable growth of public agri-food platforms. Farmers and local producers, in turn, should focus on improving product and service quality. This study is significant in that it analyzes a real-world success case, providing valuable insights that have been underrepresented in existing research.