WEMAKEPRICE "First Half Consumer Trend is 'C.H.A.N.G.E'"

Analysis of Consumer Trends Based on Sales Data from January to May
Major Shift in Consumption Paradigm Due to COVID-19 Impact

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] Wemakeprice announced on the 24th that after analyzing sales data for the first half of this year, it identified 'CHANGE' as the consumer trend. This word is formed by combining the initials of six major consumer trends in the first half of the year: ▲Concern for Health ▲Home+Economy (Homeconomy) ▲Anti-Dust ▲New-Pattern (New Consumption Pattern) ▲Get new hobby ▲E-commerce strength.

First, Wemakeprice explained that the first half of this year saw unprecedented interest in health due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From January to May, sales of hygiene products such as KF94 masks and hand sanitizers surged by approximately 3374% and 1626% respectively compared to the previous year. Sales of health supplements like nutritional supplements and red ginseng, which help boost immunity, also increased by more than 25%. The number of people seeking representative health foods such as nakji (octopus) (528%), abalone (14%), and samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) (6%) also rose.

As people spent more time at home than usual, the meaning of home began to change. With the diversification of home spaces into 'home gym,' 'home cinema,' and 'home cafe,' related product sales also surged. In particular, as the number of 'home training' enthusiasts who exercise at home without going to the gym increased, products like walking pads, yoga rings, and health bikes gained popularity. Reflecting these consumer needs, Wemakeprice is offering special deals on 'hometainment' products until the 25th.

As it became harder to see clear skies without fine dust, consumers increasingly focused on anti-dust beauty products, clothing, and home appliances that block and reduce fine dust. Especially on Wemakeprice, home appliances that capture indoor fine dust showed strong sales. Sales of stylers, which easily remove dust from clothes, increased by 195%, and induction cooktops, which generate less fine dust, rose by 106%. As air purifiers became essential appliances in the fine dust era, sales of air purifier filters also grew by 42%.

Various consumption patterns such as 'untact consumption,' 'panic buying,' and 'practical consumption' were also identified as consumer trends in the first half of the year. Due to concerns about the highly contagious coronavirus, more people preferred contactless consumption, leading to significant changes in eating habits such as ordering ready-to-eat meals or delivery food at home. From January to May, Wemakeprice's sales of ready meals and instant side dishes increased by 108 times and 22 times respectively compared to the same period last year. Additionally, during the approximately two months when domestic COVID-19 cases were high, transactions on the delivery app Wemakeprice O increased by 71% compared to the previous two months. Practical consumption during the recession was also notable. Customers increasingly used rental services or purchased refurbished products for high-end digital and home appliances, resulting in a 15-50% increase in Wemakeprice's sales in these categories.

The prolonged COVID-19 situation also led to various indoor and outdoor hobbies. Indoor hobbyists concerned about safety purchased items such as lettuce seedlings (3682%), garden pots (1048%), and bean sprout cultivators (644%), engaging in urban farming by growing their own ingredients at home. Board games like Blue Marble (233%) and DIY miniatures (127%) were also popular. Sales in the hiking and outdoor category increased by up to 97%.

Online and mobile shopping becoming common across all age groups also drew attention. Especially, e-commerce is gaining prominence. Partner companies seeking open markets like Wemakeprice are also increasing in response to changes in consumer purchasing channels. From January to May this year, the number of new partners joining Wemakeprice increased by approximately 38% compared to the same period last year.

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