Long Holiday, Outing to Department Stores... Outdoor Sales Doubled

Closed on Chuseok Day and 37~45% for 4 Days After
Fall Outdoor Activities in Full Swing... Outdoor Sales Double
Holiday Family Outings Expand... Kids Sales Also UP

During the long Chuseok holiday lasting six days until National Foundation Day, the retail sector's 'peak season effect' shone as more people took short one-day outings to department stores and outlets. With the cool autumn weather prompting people to actively prepare for outdoor activities, foot traffic toward outdoor brands increased, nearly doubling sales in that category compared to last year's Chuseok. Grandparents dressed their grandchildren in new clothes and dined out together, leading to noticeable increases in children's and food & beverage (F&B) sales.

On the 1st, which was the Chuseok holiday, visitors crowded the Shinsegae Simon Yeoju Premium Outlets.
[Photo by Shinsegae Simon].

Outdoor, Kids, and F&B Make Strides

According to the distribution industry on the 5th, the Chuseok holiday sales (September 30 to October 3) of the three major department stores?Lotte, Shinsegae, and Hyundai?increased sharply by 37% to 45% compared to the same period last year (September 11 to 14). Although most stores were closed on the day before and the day of Chuseok, the sales figures cover the following four days, resulting in more holidays than last year. Even considering this, the department store industry explained that the sales growth was at a high level.

Lotte Department Store saw a 45% increase in sales during this period. In particular, sales of outdoor (95%), sports (55%), and golf (50%) products related to outdoor activities surged with the cool weather. Due to the increase in family visitors, kids and F&B sales also rose by 50% and 45%, respectively.

Lotte Department Store explained, "Targeting demand during the autumn holiday, we held a 'Fashion Week' starting from the 30th of last month, selling about 540 brand products at up to 50% discounted prices and offering up to 10% Lotte gift certificates depending on the product category, which was effective." The fact that about 30 famous sports brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour offered popular products like running shoes and sportswear at discounts ranging from 10% to 50% also captured autumn sports demand. During the Chuseok holiday, 100,000 visitors were given 10,000 KRW discount coupons usable at F&B stores, attracting more foot traffic.

Hyundai Department Store also recorded a sales growth rate of 41.1% during this period. This year’s Chuseok holiday was longer, and it is analyzed that many people visited department stores to relax after returning from hometown visits or trips. Hyundai Department Store also operated various experiential content targeting family customers and city vacationers toward the end of the holiday. Hyundai Department Store explained, "The Nexon popular RPG game 'Blue Archive' popup store at the Pangyo branch and the 'Bubble Bubble Show' at the Kintex branch were popular." The children's musical 'Science Task Force' performance, held at the Cheonho branch where the proportion of family customers is high, also attracted significant interest.

Shinsegae Department Store also saw sales increase by 36.9% during this period. Outdoor (78.8%), basic sports (33.5%), and golf (27.8%) categories related to outdoor activities, as well as women's fashion (35.8%) and men's fashion (44.7%) sales, rose sharply due to shoppers buying autumn and winter clothes. Children's (38.2%) and F&B (34.2%) sales also showed growth rates in the 30% range.

This trend was similar at suburban outlets. Lotte Outlet’s sales growth rate during the same period rose significantly by 70%. While overall fashion sales increased by 70%, outdoor product sales surged by 130% ahead of the hiking season. During the Chuseok holiday, Shinsegae Simon Premium Outlet also saw double-digit growth in the number of visitors at its metropolitan area stores compared to the same period last year.

Holiday 'Homecations'... Foot Traffic to Large Supermarkets Also Rises

Those resting at home during the long Chuseok holiday also headed to large supermarkets. Unlike last year, large supermarkets had no mandatory closure days during this year’s Chuseok holiday and showed high sales growth centered on food products.

Emart’s deli sales, which offer easy-to-enjoy meals without cooking at home, increased by 14% during the four-day Chuseok holiday (September 28 to October 1) compared to the same period last year (September 9 to 12). Fruit sales for dessert also rose by 12%. Sales of vegetables (8.5%) and livestock products (6.5%) showed clear growth, and with more family visitors accompanied by children, toy sales increased by 7%.

Lotte Mart also saw sales increase by about 15% compared to the same period last year. The day with the most visitors during the holiday was the day before Chuseok, explained as many customers preparing for the holiday and purchasing gifts before visiting their hometowns.

Homeplus also showed clear sales growth in domestic fruits (44%) and deli (28%) during this period. Sales of Korean beef also increased by 19%.

A representative from a large supermarket said, "From the afternoon of the holiday day until the end of the holiday, many family customers accompanied by children visited. Purchases of home appliances, toys, and game consoles increased, and visits to F&B stores by family customers were also frequent." They analyzed, "As those who prepared early for the holiday went abroad, the reduced demand was somewhat replaced by homecation customers during the holiday."

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