[Jihye Choi's Trend 2024] I Don't Want to Be Like Everyone Else! The Era of the Topping Economy

Generation Z Creating Their Own Items
Keyrings, Beaded Bracelets, and the Decorating Craze
Dongdaemun Market Thrives as a Paradise for Accessories
Collaborative Products Sweep the Fashion Industry
Modular Consumption Trends After Purchase
An Era of Differentiated Value Has Arrived

Jihye Choi, Research Fellow at Seoul National University Consumer Trend Analysis Center

Recently, Dongdaemun General Market is said to be regaining its vitality. Dongdaemun General Market, which opened in 1970, is a specialized clothing material shopping district that grew alongside Korea's rapidly expanding garment manufacturing industry in the 1960s by specializing in the sale of clothing fabrics and accessories. However, as wholesale markets in China rapidly expanded and e-commerce developed, foot traffic to Dongdaemun Market gradually decreased. Yet, people have started flocking back to the 54-year-old Dongdaemun Market. What is the reason behind this?

These days, customizing Crocs, making keyrings, and creating beaded bracelets are popular. For those who want to decorate and personalize endlessly, Dongdaemun is called a paradise for accessory shopping. Generation Z, who want to create 'their own items,' roam the market like treasure hunters. Just as toppings are added to pizza, consumers build their own originality onto ready-made products, and the new economic effect created by this consumption is called the topping economy. Consumers do not settle for average consumption but want to add individual elements that express themselves. Let’s take a closer look at the aspects of the topping economy, where basic products are enhanced with personal preferences by inserting additional elements.

The first phenomenon of the topping economy is the popularity of customized products. For example, FILA offers a custom tennis shoe service that considers individual preferences and foot shape. Customers select their desired tennis shoe model, choose a fit that matches their foot, and even pick the surface of the tennis court they frequently use. Moreover, they can combine colors for the front, side, shoelaces, and sole of the tennis shoes to create a truly personalized pair. Meanwhile, the eyewear brand Brism is famous for finding the optimal glasses for each customer through a one-on-one consultation lasting about an hour. Especially based on 3D scanning and 3D printing, Brism considers face shape, inter-brow width, nose height, ear height, and more to find the perfect combination out of 650,000 options tailored to the individual’s face. Brism’s customization expertise has received great acclaim domestically and recently expanded into the U.S. market.

The second phenomenon is the growth of the decorating market where consumers find their own unique combinations. In 2024, decorating tumblers became a hot topic among Generation Z in the U.S. At the center of this trend is the Stanley tumbler. Cute straw caps that fit on the tumbler, snack rings (ring-shaped plates) to hold snacks along with drinks, and tumbler-specific bags were called ‘Amazon Stanley essentials’ on various social media platforms and gained huge popularity. The decorating craze is also shaking up the domestic fashion industry. For example, Gentle Monster created a buzz by collaborating with BLACKPINK’s Jennie to release a new product with a unique design that allows charms to be attached and detached from existing sunglasses. The product features various charms that can be attached to sunglasses, including pearls, ribbon accessories, and cute animal figurines, and it quickly became a popular item on social media upon release.

Lastly, the rise of modular consumption is also a feature of the topping economy. Nowadays, consumers prefer to keep the possibility of continuous change open even after purchase. For example, a smartwatch is purchased once, but various watch straps are prepared and swapped as desired. When going for exercise, a sports strap that can be easily washed off sweat is used, and for important meals, a leather strap is worn. This consumption method, called ‘juljil’ (strap changing), is a clever way to refresh the mood with affordable straps compared to the watch itself. This combination method is also popular in the furniture market. For instance, Illoom’s bed ‘Cushino Cozy’ is called a ‘national item’ because it changes along with the consumer’s life cycle. It is used as a bed for newlyweds, and when a child is born, an additional single bed is purchased and attached next to it, with various options such as bed guards and footboards added to transform it into a safe family bed. Such modular furniture is highly versatile because consumers can modify their space according to their life stage.

So, why is the topping economy emerging? In the past, consumption focused on a sense of belonging, but now the trend toward valuing individuality is prominent. Consumers respond sensitively to rapidly changing trends and strive to express themselves. Toppings represent the desire to avoid consuming the same as others and to reveal personal elements.

It is also important to note that the advancement of generative AI technology is opening up infinite possibilities for the topping economy. Recently, in the beauty industry, AI-based services that find the optimal product matching skin tone have become essential. For example, Amorepacific’s ‘Tonework’ uses AI to diagnose individual skin tones and helps consumers find the perfect color for themselves. The recently launched ‘DuckhealRX’ also uses a smartphone camera to capture the face, and AI instantly diagnoses skin condition and suggests suitable skincare and routines from 48,000 solutions.

The rise of the topping economy indicates that an era has arrived where customized products and services must provide differentiated value to consumers. For companies, it is essential to maximize ‘engagement’ by ensuring consumers continue to seek and consume the brand even after purchasing products. In the future, companies should build diverse topping ecosystems that leave room for consumers to reinterpret and participate in products. The final puzzle that completes our products is the one fitted by the consumer.

Jihye Choi, Research Fellow, Consumer Trend Analysis Center, Seoul National University

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