Early Morning Lines at Starbucks and Hollys: Why South Korea Is Obsessed with Limited-Edition Goods

Waiting in Line Two Hours Before Opening... Reselling on Secondhand Marketplaces
Satisfying the Desire to Own and Show Off
"Younger Generations Fill Their Anxiety With Goods"
Concerns Over Impulsive and Excessive Consumption... Emergence of 'Value for Money' Goods

Source: Junggonara Blog

[Asia Economy, reporter Choi Shin-hye] "After failing to get the Starbucks Ready Bag, I was determined to buy the Hollys Folding Cart, so I waited for two hours from 7 a.m. and finally succeeded. When I saw the long line, I had a moment of reality check, but I felt very proud once I got it." (Kim Seokjun, 29, office worker)

South Korea has fallen for limited-edition goods. Recently, summer limited-edition goods released by coffee chains such as Starbucks and Hollys Coffee have sparked a frenzy, with early sellouts making headlines. Not only are dozens of people lining up before opening hours to secure these goods, but there are also numerous cases of these limited items being resold on secondhand marketplaces at several times the original price.

According to the retail industry on June 11, Starbucks Korea's limited-edition "Summer Ready Bag," launched as part of the e-Frequency event on May 21, has continued to sell out early at stores nationwide. Customers can obtain the Summer Ready Bag by collecting 17 e-Frequency stamps, which are given each time they purchase a qualifying beverage, until July 22.

On the first day of the event, a customer at the Yeouido Park branch in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, made headlines after ordering 300 drinks (worth about 1.3 million won) and receiving 17 Summer Ready Bags. The customer drank only one beverage and left the remaining drinks in the store, departing with the 17 gift bags. Other customers visiting the store that day were able to enjoy the leftover coffee for free, but about half of the 300 drinks could not be consumed that day and were discarded.

There have also been cases where customers visit stores, order 17 drinks at once, fill their tumblers, and collect the gifts. At this coffee shop, by purchasing 14 of the cheapest qualifying drinks (espresso and short-size Americano) and three additional designated drinks, customers can secure the gift at a minimum cost of 67,300 won.

The multi-folding cart, launched by Hollys Coffee as a limited-edition summer promotion item on June 9, has also quickly sold out. This multi-purpose product is designed not only for camping or picnics but also for carrying goods or grocery shopping, with ample storage space. It features a lid, making it easy to unfold and use as a table. The retail price is 31,000 won, but customers can purchase it for 11,900 won when they buy 10,000 won or more worth of food or beverages at Hollys Coffee, regardless of the item. As of 8 a.m., checking the Hollys Coffee app showed that only one out of 579 Hollys Coffee stores nationwide still had the multi-folding cart in stock.

Given the situation, social media is flooded with posts from people expressing disappointment after lining up from early morning but failing to get the folding cart. One netizen wrote, "I lined up from 7:40 a.m., but it was all for nothing. I've already tried three locations with no luck. I've spent hours just standing in line." Other posts include, "I passed by a 24-hour Hollys at 12:10 a.m. and saw more than 50 people in line," and "The store I went to only had eight multi-folding carts, so I made a wasted trip."

Experts point to consumers' desire to own and show off "goods that can't be bought with money" as the main reason behind the limited-edition goods craze. In particular, the MZ generation (those born in the 1980s to 2000s), who seek fun in consumption, enjoy flaunting and sharing exclusive items on social media. There are already over 1,000 posts on Instagram featuring proof shots of the Starbucks Ready Bag. Seo Yonggu, a professor of business administration at Sookmyung Women's University, explained, "Among millennials and younger generations, growing uncertainty about the future and anxiety about reality are increasing the preference for limited-edition items that can be obtained right now."

The fact that only a limited quantity is sold within a limited time further stimulates consumers' desire to purchase. "Limited-edition marketing" is also called "hunger marketing," as it makes consumers crave and long for the products. Many retailers are jumping on this trend, ramping up their limited-edition marketing efforts. A recent success story is Paldo's "Gwaltone Nemmtin," a limited-edition product released to mark the 35th anniversary of Paldo Bibimmyeon. It sold out 5 million units within a month of its offline launch in March.

Meanwhile, there are concerns that limited-edition goods may lead to impulsive or excessive consumption among consumers. In response, some companies are adopting "value for money" and "emotional value for money" strategies, focusing on price-performance and consumer satisfaction. For example, the "Relax Chair" camping chair sold by Highbrow in collaboration with Hollys Coffee is priced at 147,000 won, but a similar limited-edition goods set of "Relax Chair and Parasol" is available for 39,000 won, about four times cheaper.

A Hollys Coffee representative stated, "The prices of this summer's goods were set based on the market price of similar products, so that consumers can purchase them without feeling burdened."

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