"Everyday Online Grocery Shopping" Gmarket Sees 43% Increase Since COVID-19

Largest Growth Among MZ Generation, Beverage Categories Popular
Gmarket and Auction Hold 'Online Grocery Shopping Fair'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yuri] As COVID-19 continues, so-called 'online grocery shopping' through the internet for food and daily necessities is becoming established.

Gmarket and Auction announced that the transaction amount of representative grocery product categories from January to September this year increased by 43% compared to the same period three years ago before the outbreak of COVID-19 (January to September 2018). The categories surveyed include processed foods, fresh foods, health foods, body & hair care, daily necessities, and coffee & beverages, totaling six categories.

Looking at the transaction amounts by product category, health foods (67%) and processed foods (61%) showed the largest growth rates. Fresh foods (38%), coffee & beverages (36%), daily necessities (28%), and body & hair care (7%) followed. The company analyzed that products with less risk of spoilage during delivery and those frequently purchased were especially popular in situations where visiting stores directly was difficult.

By age group, online grocery shopping among the 20s MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) increased the most by 75%. This was followed by people in their 30s (59%), 40s (47%), 60 and older (41%), and 50s (34%) in that order.

The items most purchased by people in their 20s compared to three years ago were beverages, with carbonated drinks (390%), bottled water & sparkling water (192%), and functional beverages (187%) ranking among the top 5 popular products. Purchases of traditional liquor (176%) also increased significantly. People in their 30s bought processed foods such as seafood processed products and frozen & easy-to-cook meals that can quickly serve as a meal, while those in their 40s and 50s purchased bread and rice cakes enjoyed as snacks or meal substitutes.

Meanwhile, Gmarket and Auction are holding an 'Online Grocery Shopping Fair' promotion until the 24th, offering popular related products at discounts of up to 48%. To enhance shopping convenience, themed pages such as 'Easy Home Meals & Home Cafe,' 'October Seasonal Foods,' 'Family Health Care,' 'Household Essentials,' and 'Autumn Skincare & Beauty' have been created alongside the main event hall, providing various coupon benefits and recommended products.

All members are offered a '15% discount coupon' with up to 5,000 KRW off, and Smile Club membership members receive an additional '20% discount coupon.' These coupons can be downloaded once daily per each of the five product halls. When paying with a Samsung Card registered on the simple payment system 'Smile Pay,' a '5% overlapping discount coupon' is also provided once daily.

Special price products will be revealed daily at midnight through the main hall, with four items per site. On the 12th, Gmarket will feature ▲Brown Nature Mild 70 sheets cap ▲2021 domestic glutinous black rice, while Auction will showcase ▲Whole Life Royal Vitamin D 5000 IU. On the 13th, Gmarket will sell ▲Hi-Mune Protein Balance ▲Good Rice Cake Honey Baeksulgi, and Auction will offer ▲Sparkle Water ▲B7 Mild Acidic Hair Loss Shampoo 2+1.

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