Revenge Spending Surges... 'Big Smile Day' First Day Sales Recover to Last Year's Level

3.31 Million Units Sold by 6 PM on First Day
Surpassing 3.3 Million Units Sold in May Last Year
Digital Devices, Home Appliances, and Hygiene Products Popular

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] The 'Big Smile Day' event, a joint sale hosted by eBay Korea amid the COVID-19 pandemic, posted strong sales performance on the first day, reflecting a rebound in consumer spending.

According to eBay Korea on the 20th, the cumulative sales volume of the first half Big Smile Day event held on Gmarket, Auction, and G9 surpassed 3.31 million units as of 6 p.m. on the first day (the 19th), slightly exceeding the record of 3.3 million units set in May last year. Given the subdued consumer sentiment due to COVID-19, this is considered a meaningful internal achievement.

Digital devices and various home appliances were especially popular. The ‘Lenovo IdeaPad,’ which ranked first in cumulative sales on Gmarket and Auction as of 6 p.m. the previous day, achieved total sales of 1.42 billion KRW. The ‘Samsung Galaxy Book Ion’ sold 1.02 billion KRW worth, and the ‘Apple iPad Pro’ sold 950 million KRW worth. Home appliances such as the ‘Samsung Grande Dryer’ recorded cumulative sales of 880 million KRW, the ‘Roborock Robot Vacuum Cleaner’ 650 million KRW, and the ‘LG Electronics Styler’ 430 million KRW.

There was also strong demand for daily necessities and processed foods that can be purchased in bulk. As of 6 p.m., ‘Bebesup Baby Wet Wipes Cap 20 Packs’ sold 230 million KRW worth, ‘Clean Country Pure Brown Toilet Paper’ sold 270 million KRW worth, and ‘Pampers Baby Dry Diapers’ sold 200 million KRW worth. ‘Ottogi Rice’ recorded sales of 100 million KRW, and ‘CJ CheilJedang Bibigo Beef Bone Soup 18-pack’ achieved 100 million KRW in sales as a single product.

The online-to-offline (O2O) service ‘Pickup Day,’ linked with offline stores, also sold out from the early stages of the event. The ‘Paris Baguette Happy Order 10,000 KRW Mobile Voucher,’ sold at a 50% discount, sold out its prepared quantity of 10,000 units within two hours, and most products from Dunkin, Baskin Robbins, Seasonal Table, GS25, and others are also sold out.

Meanwhile, a donation campaign is being conducted in collaboration with Yuhan-Kimberly. For every Yuhan-Kimberly product purchased during Big Smile Day on Gmarket and Auction, one ‘Good Feel Magic Cushion Ultra Slim Sanitary Pad’ will be credited. The credited sanitary pads will be delivered to families in need through the Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation.

Kim Tae-soo, Head of Sales at eBay Korea, said, “Unlike other promotions, the relatively wide range of products available and the Smile Club exclusive benefits amounting to up to 3.96 million KRW seem to be key factors for success,” adding, “Based on this, the May Big Smile Day is establishing itself as the largest discount event in Korea, comparable to the one in November.”

Big Smile Day will continue until the 27th, with exclusive discount coupons provided three times during the event period. The first round was on the 19th, the second will be on the upcoming 22nd, and the third on the 25th. Three types of ‘20% discount coupons’ will be offered, including up to 300,000 KRW coupons for Smile Club members, up to 30,000 KRW coupons, and up to 10,000 KRW coupons. General members will receive ‘15% coupons’ with discounts up to 5,000 KRW. Even non-Smile Club members can enjoy the same benefits by applying for a one-month free trial membership.

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