"Outside the Blanket is Dangerous"... Essential Goods Click Shopping Has Greatly Increased

Changing Consumer Trends Due to the Spread of Infection Fear

Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), the number of people ordering necessary items online has significantly increased. As people refrain from outdoor activities out of fear of infection, orders for food, daily necessities, and even business-related products are rising, delivered directly to homes or stores through online platforms instead of visiting offline stores. Although there are major concerns that the novel coronavirus will cause an overall economic downturn, it is also driving changes in consumer trends, resulting in the expansion of the online ordering market.

According to Linkshops, a wholesale clothing brokerage platform in Dongdaemun, the number of orders during the first weekend of February increased by 38.6% compared to the average weekend orders in January. This company provides a service that delivers Dongdaemun market products to retail stores nationwide, and despite February being the off-season for the Dongdaemun clothing market, orders have surged significantly. This is interpreted as retail businesses, which previously visited wholesale markets in person to purchase products, now flocking to online platforms as an alternative. A Linkshops representative explained, "Since the Lunar New Year holiday, orders have surged due to users avoiding direct visits to the Dongdaemun market amid the coronavirus situation." The novel coronavirus is affecting not only daily life but also business practices.

The increase in online orders is clearly evident in the purchase of daily necessities. E-commerce company Wemakeprice (WEMAKEPRICE) reported that the transaction amount in the daily necessities category during the three days of the first weekend in February increased by 263% compared to the same period last year. During the same period, the total transaction amount increased by 72%. Compared to the first weekend of last month, daily necessities transactions rose by 118%, and total transactions increased by 34%. Notably, in addition to household items experiencing shortages such as masks and hand sanitizers, food sales have also surged. The number of people seeking simple home-heated ready meals increased by 1692% compared to the previous year, and sales of "meal kits," which include all ingredients and seasonings needed for cooking, rose by 1496%. By processed food category, ramen sales increased by 437%, instant rice by 195%, bottled water by 154%, and rice by 87%.

The situation is similar for food delivery. According to Delivery Hero Korea, which operates the food delivery app "Yogiyo," the number of orders during the three days from January 31 to February 2, the first weekend of this month, increased by 15% compared to the most recent weekend two weeks prior, excluding the Lunar New Year holiday. As confirmed coronavirus cases rise and anxiety grows, people are refraining from dining out at crowded restaurants even on weekends and are instead ordering food to eat at home, indicating a change in consumption patterns. A delivery industry official stated, "Although the delivery app market has been continuously growing, an increase of more than 10% compared to the most recent weekend is a meaningful influx of users."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.