This Chuseok Gift Trend is 'High-End, Health, and Contactless'

As Visiting Hometown Becomes Difficult During Holidays
More Money Spent on Gifts Than Last Year
Promotion of Hygiene Products Like Hand Wash
Mobile Gift Cards Also Popular

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] The top gift trends for this Chuseok were identified as 'Flex, Anti-Virus, and Remote.' This means that the price range for holiday gifts has increased compared to last year (Flex), products considering health and hygiene (Anti-Virus) are popular, and due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing has led to gifts being sent remotely (Remote). SSG.com announced on the 21st that it analyzed all sales data from August 13 to this month’s 19th to derive these results.

'Filial Piety Flex' during the 'Contactless Chuseok'

The average price range of Chuseok gift sets sold on SSG.com rose by more than 15% compared to last year. In particular, orders for gift sets priced over 200,000 KRW increased by 194% compared to last year. This is because social distancing made it difficult to visit hometowns, leading to higher spending on holiday gifts than last year. Popular products priced over 200,000 KRW included premium fresh foods such as 'Hanwoo' (Korean beef), 'wild pine mushrooms,' and 'fish roe.'

The proportion of orders for products priced between 100,000 and 200,000 KRW also more than doubled compared to last year. This is mainly attributed to the temporary increase in the gift limit for agricultural, livestock, and fishery products under the Anti-Graft Act for this Chuseok. Gifts in the 100,000 to 200,000 KRW range, such as 'Hanwoo,' 'pear,' and 'dried yellow corvina,' also showed high sales.

Massage chairs, considered popular filial piety electronics, are also gaining attention. Emart’s massage chair sales from January to August increased by 17.0% compared to the same period last year. Massage devices also rose by 49.6%. Especially from June to August, sales growth rates for filial piety electronics were 27.2%, 45.0%, and 60.4%, respectively, showing a continuous increase in demand for related products. Emart is selling about 35 types of massage chairs and devices at up to 20% discount until the 30th. For this event, Emart prepared a total of 20,000 units through a year-long pre-planning process. Representative products include the 'Brahms Alice (3.98 million KRW)' and 'Playbee Chair (980,000 KRW),' which can be purchased together at a 19.8% discount from the original price of 4.96 million KRW to 3.98 million KRW.

Hygiene Gift Sets Enter Top Rankings for the First Time

With increased interest in 'hygiene' and 'health' due to COVID-19, anti-virus gifts entered the rankings for the first time. 'Hand wash' gift sets ranked within the top 10 for the first time, signaling the rise of 'hygiene products.' The representative product was the 'I Clean My Hands Gift Set,' which included two main bottles and three refills priced under 10,000 KRW, making it the most popular.

Also, while last year only 'red ginseng' among health functional foods ranked in the top 10, this year various products including red ginseng, probiotics, lutein, and vitamins entered the top 20, showing diversification. This is analyzed as reflecting increased interest in 'health' and a preference for products that are functionally proven to effectively boost immunity.

Mobile 'Gift Sending' Becomes the Trend

The way gifts are delivered has also changed. The use of the 'Gift Sending' service, which allows easy gift sending by just knowing the recipient’s phone number, has greatly increased. As contactless consumption has become established, sales through the gift sending service on SSG.com during this period increased by 101.8%, and order volume rose by 114%. This is analyzed as many customers preferring to send gifts easily via mobile text messages instead of meeting in person. The ability to send gifts without knowing the recipient’s exact address is also a popular factor.

Currently, most of the 25,000 types of Chuseok gift sets sold on SSG.com can be sent via the 'Gift Sending' service. Hyundai Department Store offers the 'Gift Sending' service at over 3,700 stores (about 600 brands) across 15 nationwide locations, including the Apgujeong main store.

Drive-thru services are also being used for Chuseok gift set sales. Hyundai Department Store operates a 'Chuseok Gift Set Drive-Thru Pickup Service' at its Kintex branch until the 28th. Customers can pick up pre-ordered Chuseok gift sets without visiting the store by paying and receiving the items from their vehicle. To use this service, customers must order by the 23rd via the 'Chuseok Consultation Dedicated Phone' and visit the 'Drive Pickup Zone' on their preferred date (September 25-28, 1 PM to 6 PM), where staff will load the ordered items into their car. Lotte Department Store Gwangju branch is continuing this service, and the Ulsan branch has been operating the Chuseok gift set drive-thru pickup since the 18th until before Chuseok.

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