Analyzing Card Sales... Rapid Growth of Delivery Apps for 'Dessert & Hoe'

KB Kookmin Card Analyzes Food Industry Spending Trends of Its Credit and Check Card Customers

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[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] Amid the rapid growth in sales of delivery applications in the food industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has recently been revealed that sectors requiring freshness maintenance, such as desserts and raw fish dishes, are also growing quickly.

KB Kookmin Card announced on the 17th that an analysis of consumption patterns of its credit and debit card users last year showed that sales in the food industry increased by 5% compared to the previous year. This analysis covered two years from January 2020 to December last year, focusing on KB Kookmin Card customers' usage of five delivery apps and offline food industry stores.

The analysis showed that the sales growth rate of delivery apps last year was 68%. By quarter, sales increased by 94% in the first quarter and 40% in the fourth quarter of last year. Offline food industry sales, excluding delivery apps, decreased by 2% annually but showed a positive growth of 16% in the fourth quarter compared to the same period the previous year.

By sector, the number of sales transactions was highest in general restaurants at 30.0%, followed by Korean food (27.5%), fast food (8.8%), Chinese food (8.3%), and cafes/snack bars (8.0%). The growth rates in the number of sales transactions were 45% for general restaurants, 59% for Korean food, 36% for fast food, 36% for Chinese food, and 69% for cafes/snack bars.

Notably, the survey highlighted the growth of sectors where freshness maintenance is essential, such as desserts and raw fish dishes. Coffee and beverage specialty stores saw increases of 111% in the number of sales transactions and 119% in sales amount. Japanese cuisine and raw fish restaurants grew by 79% and 88%, respectively, while bakeries and ice cream shops increased by 63% and 75%, showing high growth rates.

KB Kookmin Card stated, "Due to COVID-19, trends are changing very rapidly toward non-face-to-face interactions, with delivery apps at the center of this change. Delivery apps, based on non-face-to-face services, will highlight the importance of hybrid stores combining offline stores, delivery, and takeout operations as the COVID-19 situation eases."

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