Early Summer, Tired of 'Jipkok', Heading Outdoors... Water Sports Popularity Soars

Shinsegae Department Store Main Branch Arena Store (Photo by Shinsegae Department Store).

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] With the early heat, water sports such as swimming, surfing, and wakeboarding are gaining popularity. In a situation where traveling is difficult due to COVID-19, many people are choosing water sports as a refreshing hobby to escape the stuffy indoors.

According to Gmarket, sales of surfing suits and diving suits for water sports increased by 54% and 158%, respectively, compared to the same period last year (May 9 to June 8). Sales of men's rash guards and swim briefs rose by 58% and 158%, respectively, while women's swimsuit sales increased by 4%. Among equipment, water skiing and wakeboarding gear grew by 43%, and surfing board equipment increased by 8% compared to the previous year. Additionally, life jackets sold 13% more, and water play boats saw a 4% increase compared to last year.

Shinsegae Department Store also reported a rapid growth in swimsuit sales, which rose 47.0% from March to June 7 compared to the same period last year. This is attributed to the early heat and reduced concerns due to expanded vaccination. Last year, the highest daytime temperature in Seoul exceeded 30 degrees Celsius on May 30, but this year it was brought forward by about half a month to May 14. Swimsuit sales this month continue to show double-digit growth at 10.7%.

In response to this trend, companies are actively engaging in related marketing. Gmarket is holding a 'Brand Showcase' until June 13, offering up to 45% exclusive discounts on all products from the sports brand 'Barrel.' They present a variety of products suitable for water sports activities such as surfing, wakeboarding, and scuba diving, including swimsuits, rash guards, dry bags, and aqua shoes, all at discounted prices.

G9 is launching a 'What to do?' section for those feeling cooped up at home. It introduces products to spend time meaningfully, including food, entertainment, travel destinations, hobbies, and weekend activities. Especially through the 'What to do on the weekend?' category, they are selling tickets for water amusement rides such as surfing, valley rafting, and banana boats.

Shinsegae Department Store is introducing exclusive products from the swimsuit specialty brand Arena. Arena's exclusive products, available at Shinsegae Department Store's offline stores and SSG.com, include women's beach shorts priced at 79,000 KRW and men's beach rash guards at 89,000 KRW. Nike Swim has prepared new products as well, including men's 5-part swim shorts at 89,000 KRW and women's one-piece swimsuits at 139,000 KRW.

A Gmarket official said, "Because people have been engaging in hobbies indoors for a long time, when relatively hot weather arrived, water sports, which allow people to enjoy hobbies coolly outdoors, have gained attention. It also seems that there is an intention to enjoy these activities relatively safely before the main vacation period."

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