All Leisure Activities at Home... SSG.com Sees Surge in Sales of 'Hometainment' Products

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the time spent at home has increased, leading to heightened consumer interest in leisure activities that can be done at home, such as home cooking and home cafes.

SSG.com announced on the 14th that after analyzing sales data for about two months from February 1 to the 12th of this month, sales of products related to ‘hometainment’ doubled compared to the previous two months. ‘Hometainment’ is a compound word combining ‘home’ and ‘entertainment,’ reflecting the trend of spending leisure time at home.

Among these, the most prominent growth items were ‘home cooking’ products that allow direct experience and making food, such as ‘Toy Cookie.’ As a single product, sales of Pulmuone’s ‘Toy Cookie 3 types’ surged by 150%. The fact that children can use dough to make cookies in various shapes gained popularity among parents through word of mouth.

In addition, products related to ‘home cafes’ are also popular. This trend reflects the tendency to minimize visits to frequently visited cafes and equip homes with coffee equipment and supplies comparable to coffee shops. Coffee-related appliances such as espresso machines, coffee makers, and coffee grinders increased sales by 74.5%, and capsule coffee sales rose by 25%, supporting the ‘home cafe’ phenomenon.

With the arrival of warm spring, many customers are also seeking ‘home gardening’ products. Overall sales increased by 147.6%, with soil such as potting soil up by 173.7%, and seeds like herbs and sunflowers growing by 126.3%. ‘Gardening kits’ such as ‘mini pot growing’ for beginners are also popular. It is analyzed that instead of going out for flower viewing, people expect to gain aesthetic satisfaction by cultivating their own garden on the veranda.

Sales related to ‘home interior’ also grew by more than 40%. In particular, sales of self DIY interior products surged by 120%. Notably, the sales of the famous self-interior brand ‘Mungori.com’ increased by more than 200%. Lighting products that change the atmosphere inside the house rose by 37%, and frames and sheets that can add points to walls increased by 25%. Diffusers and candle products, which add pleasant scents to spaces where people spend a lot of time, also saw a 50% increase in sales.

With social distancing measures causing gyms to close more frequently, the number of customers setting up ‘home gyms’ is also increasing. Sales related to home training such as health and yoga rose by 35%. Specifically, steppers increased by 100%, dumbbells by 92%, treadmills by 75%, and indoor bicycles by 53%, indicating more customers exercising at home.

Purchases of game consoles and game packs are also active. Representative products include the ‘Nintendo Switch’ console and the ‘download code’ for the game ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons.’ Currently, physical game packs are so scarce that they are hard to find, but this product allows immediate game installation by purchasing the download code, gaining popularity through word of mouth and increasing the number of buyers.

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