Outside is Dangerous... Solving All Leisure and Flower Viewing at Home Due to COVID-19

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Due to the prolonged social distancing measures caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the ‘homebody’ lifestyle is evolving. People have moved beyond simply ordering goods online and refraining from going out; they are now beginning to enjoy all activities such as leisure and exercise at home.

According to SSG.com on the 18th, the number of customers seeking home gardening products has significantly increased from February 1 to the 12th of this month. Overall sales rose by 147.6% compared to the previous year, with soil products such as potting soil increasing by 173.7%, and various seeds by 126.3%. On Gmarket, indoor plant pot sales surged by 295% year-on-year from March 14 to the 13th of this month.

In this regard, an industry insider explained, “The increase in sales of home gardening-related products reflects consumers’ desire to decorate their homes with flowers and other plants to feel the warm spring atmosphere, rather than enjoying outdoor cherry blossom viewing in order to practice social distancing.”

The ‘home drinking’ trend is also evolving. At E-Mart, from February 20 to the 13th of this month, sales of alcoholic beverages increased by 19.4% for wine, 14.3% for soju, 12.1% for traditional liquors, and 5% for beer.

This reflects the social atmosphere of refraining from company dinners, and in response, E-Mart launched the BeerTender. The ‘Tefal BeerTender,’ officially launched domestically by E-Mart, had previously only been available through overseas direct purchase. Especially recently, due to COVID-19, as more consumers want to enjoy draft beer at home, inquiries related to the BeerTender have been increasing.

The Tefal BeerTender maintains the optimal draft beer temperature of 4 degrees Celsius continuously and preserves the pressure of the beer keg for up to 30 days to maintain taste. Tilting the glass at 45 degrees while pouring generates rich foam, allowing consumers to enjoy freshly poured draft beer at home.

The game console ‘Nintendo Switch’ and the game ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ continue to experience shortages. On the 11th, 11st sold 100 Nintendo Switch consoles through the ‘Monthly 11th Day Sale,’ which sold out in just one second.

The Nintendo Switch supply shortage is due to the suspension of production at Chinese factories manufacturing the consoles amid COVID-19. The price of the Switch, which was 360,000 KRW, has risen to between 600,000 and 700,000 KRW, and special editions packaged with Animal Crossing characters have surged to between 800,000 and 900,000 KRW.

Additionally, as visits to cafes have been minimized, there is a growing trend of equipping homes with coffee equipment and supplies comparable to specialty coffee shops, leading to a significant increase in sales of coffee-related appliances such as espresso machines, coffee makers, and coffee grinders. Sales of products for making items like pancakes and cookies, which pair well with coffee and are made at home, have also increased.

An industry insider stated, “As the time spent at home lengthens due to COVID-19 and staying home becomes the norm, consumers’ interests have expanded to various products. Consumers are finding enjoyment in diverse activities they can do at home, and sales of products related to the homebody lifestyle are expected to continue for the time being.”

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