With the Christmas holiday approaching, the costs of buying Christmas gifts and cakes or spending time with family, partners, and friends are rising. The prices of toys that are very popular among children are approaching the 100,000 won range, and the prices of Christmas limited-edition products such as Advent calendars have soared by more than 41% in recent years. The price of the cake, which was considered the "most expensive Christmas cake" in Korea, has also increased by 33% this year, setting a new record high.

Parents who need to prepare "Santa Claus gifts" for their children ahead of Christmas are facing growing concerns. Kim Hyunkyung (39), an office worker raising a 7-year-old child, said, "Even before Christmas, my child keeps saying, 'I hope Santa Claus brings me a certain toy.' Kids have an eye for expensive things, and the gifts they choose are in the 100,000 won range, which is worrying. Also, kindergarten and academies ask us to send gifts in advance for Christmas parties, so it looks like I will spend over 200,000 won just on Christmas gifts again this year."

Children are choosing toys at the toy section of a large supermarket in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yoon Seulgi

원본보기 아이콘

In fact, the prices of toys that rank high in sales on Naver Shopping and Emart Mall are close to 100,000 won. Among popular toy models, the Catch Teenieping Shooting Star Pact is 93,900 won, and the Sweet and Sour Teenieping Magic Palace is 88,000 won. For infants and toddlers, the LEGO Duplo Cargo Train sells for 152,900 won, and the Steam Train is 89,900 won.

The increased cost of dining out is also a burden during the year-end, when there are many gatherings and parties. As ingredient costs, labor, rent, and utility bills rise, dining out expenses continue to climb. In particular, hotel buffet prices during Christmas have exceeded 200,000 won. At The Parkview in The Shilla Seoul, the dinner buffet for one adult (from December 20 to 31) is 215,000 won, up 12% from 192,000 won in November. At Lotte Hotel's La Seine, the dinner and weekend/holiday price (from December 20 to 31) is 215,000 won, a 13% increase from last month's 190,000 won.

원본보기 아이콘

Christmas marketing also becomes more active around Christmas. Companies launch products using the Christmas theme and stimulate consumer desire by highlighting their "limited edition" status.

Starbucks releases new drinks and whole cakes every Christmas season. This year, they have re-released popular items from last year such as the Double Espresso Cream Latte, Non-Alcoholic Holiday Passion Tea Vin Chaud, and Starbucks Classic Milk Tea. From December 20 to 25, they will also sell a Holiday Party Pack consisting of a tablecloth, plates, toppers, and more. Gongcha has also launched four types of "Gingerbread Man Bottle Drinks" and other limited-edition year-end menu items.

The Christmas Advent Calendar is also a representative limited-edition product. The Advent Calendar is a calendar containing gifts that can be opened daily from the 1st to the 24th, originally used in Christianity during the Advent period (the four weeks of preparation for Christmas) for reading Bible verses or praying each day as a spiritual practice.

Recently, many people buy Advent Calendars for the fun of opening a gift each day while waiting for Christmas. Cosmetic brands fill them with small-sized products like hand cream, foam cleanser, soap, and lotion, while food brands create gift calendars with chocolates, snacks, and candies.

원본보기 아이콘

원본보기 아이콘

However, as prices rise, the cost of Advent Calendars has gone up significantly. L'Occitane's Advent Calendar, which is popular every year, was 68,000 won when first released in 2016, but this year the classic version is 91,000 won and the premium is 170,000 won. The Advent Calendar from British beauty brand Cath Kidston also jumped 41% in three years, from 31,900 won in 2021 to 45,000 won this year.

The same goes for Christmas cakes. The price of Starbucks whole cakes ranged from 35,000 to 59,000 won last year, but this year it is 36,000 to 89,000 won, with the lower and upper price limits rising by 2.9% and 50.8%, respectively. The price of the "most expensive Christmas cake" in Korea also set a new record this year. The Shilla Hotel's "The Taste of Luxury" cake rose from 300,000 won last year to 400,000 won this year, an increase of over 100,000 won.