Sudden Cold Snap with Camping Stove Fuel Spill... Sales Double Rapidly

Shinil Fan Heater September Shipments Reach 9,000 Units... 10 Times More Than Two Years Ago
Establishing Itself as a Camping and Leisure Culture... Camping Population Surpasses 7 Million
Demand Surges Due to Autumn Cold Wave... Reselling at 1.5 to 2 Times the Price

The premium camping stove 'Camp 29' released by Paseco in August this year. [Photo provided by Paseco]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] Sales of camping heaters are rapidly increasing due to an early ‘sudden cold wave.’ Some products are so scarce that supply cannot keep up with demand. With overseas travel blocked by COVID-19, the number of people enjoying camping has increased, leading to a new heyday for camping heaters.

According to Shinil Electronics on the 20th, the factory shipment volume of the camping heater ‘Shinil Fan Heater’ last month was about 9,000 units, more than double compared to the same period last year (about 4,100 units). Compared to September 2019 (about 860 units), two years ago, it increased more than tenfold. From July this year, when the camping heater peak season began, to the 18th, 13,000 fan heaters were shipped, nearly four times more than the same period in 2019 (3,300 units). A Shinil Electronics official said, “It is popular among campers because it is more energy-efficient than regular heaters and can be used for up to 67 hours on a single fueling,” adding, “We are significantly increasing production every year.”

Traders Quadruples Supply... Increase in MZ Generation Campers

Sales in other distribution channels also stood out. According to Gmarket, camping heater sales increased by 129% from the 18th of last month to the 17th of this month compared to the previous month. Emart increased the supply of kerosene fan heaters at its warehouse-style store ‘Traders’ to about 8,000 units this year, nearly four times more than the previous year. This was due to the surge in kerosene fan heater sales last year. Emart and Traders sold about 2,500 kerosene fan heaters over three months from September to November last year, a tenfold increase compared to the previous year (250 units). About 2,000 Shinil fan heaters secured by the company last year sold out within two months.

COVID-19 is the main factor behind the popularity of camping heaters. Camping emerged as a new leisure culture after COVID-19 because it does not require staying in the same space with an unspecified number of people and naturally allows social distancing. ‘Chabak’ camping, where people stay overnight in their cars at camping sites, and ‘Bulmeong’ camping, where people gaze quietly at a fire pit or firewood, also gained popularity. According to Statistics Korea and others, the domestic camping population exceeded 7 million this year, up from 6 million in 2019. Considering that the domestic camping population was estimated at 600,000 in 2010, it has increased more than tenfold in the past decade. An industry official said, “In the past, the core camping demographic was the 40s and 50s age group, but the influx of the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) has greatly increased due to COVID-19,” adding, “There is also an aspect of benefiting from revenge consumption sparked by blocked overseas travel.”

The autumn cold wave fueled demand for camping heaters. The industry explained that the number of people seeking camping heaters has sharply increased due to an unusual ‘October cold wave warning.’ The recent cold wave warning was exceptional, being the first issued in 17 years since 2004.

Shinil Electronics' 'Shinil Fan Heater.' It is considered a steady seller among camping heaters.
[Photo by Shinil Electronics]

Even Reselling... Heating Appliance Companies’ ‘Happy Complaints’

There is also a resell phenomenon where buyers pay a premium because demand exceeds supply. On online secondhand trading platforms like Danggeun Market, it is easy to find posts selling popular camping heater models at 1.5 to 2 times the original price. Because of this situation, online camping communities share information about camping heater stock status by store. It is said that ‘rapid clicking’ is essential to purchase from online shopping malls where popular models are stocked in small quantities.

The heating appliance market has reached a turning point due to COVID-19. In recent years, the heating appliance market had stagnated because global warming raised average winter temperatures, reducing sales. However, thanks to campers, demand for outdoor heaters has surged, and heating appliance companies like Shinil Electronics and Paseco are ‘happily overwhelmed.’ A Paseco official said, “The Ansan factory producing camping heaters has increased production lines as much as possible,” adding, “Even running the factory at full capacity, there are times when production cannot keep up with demand.”

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