Gmarket·Auction, Lunar New Year Gifts Also Show Generation Gap... 20s and 30s Prefer 'Quality', 40s and 50s Prefer 'Quantity'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] In preparing Lunar New Year gifts, people in their 20s and 30s purchased more expensive products compared to last year, while those in their 40s and 50s bought larger quantities.

eBay Korea announced on the 8th that, after comparing Lunar New Year gift sales data from Gmarket and Auction with last year, it was analyzed that the preference for premium products increased among people in their 20s and 30s, whereas those in their 40s and 50s increased the volume of gift purchases.

In fact, during the week ten days before the Lunar New Year holiday (January 26 to February 1), the total sales volume of Lunar New Year gifts increased by 17% compared to the same period last year (January 8 to January 14). Among them, customers in their 50s and 40s increased by 31% and 21% respectively, greatly exceeding the average. In contrast, those in their 30s (5%) and 20s (4%) showed only slight increases.

The item category with the largest increase among people in their 40s and 50s was e-coupons, which rose by 67%. This was followed by fresh food and processed food, which increased by 45% and 21% respectively. Additionally, daily necessities (19%) and health supplements (12%) also saw significant growth.

Regarding the average purchase amount per customer, it increased by 18% overall during the same period, but unlike sales volume, the growth was led by people in their 20s and 30s. Specifically, the purchase amount per customer rose by 29% for those in their 20s and 21% for those in their 30s. Both the 40s and 50s age groups saw a 16% increase.

The item category for which people in their 20s and 30s allocated the highest budget was kitchen appliances, with the average purchase amount increasing by 45% compared to last year. Other categories with increased average purchase amounts included body and hair products (25%), daily necessities (17%), and health supplements (15%).

An eBay Korea official stated, “Due to social distancing measures continuing through the Lunar New Year holiday, many customers are substituting hometown visits with gift-giving, which has significantly boosted related sales. The sales data suggests that while the largely unmarried 20s and 30s focus on parents and immediate family, those in their 40s and 50s tend to take care of extended relatives as well.”

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