South Korea

Consumer demand for wearable electronics continued to rise in 2022, and volume growth is set to be maintained in 2023, driven by increasing awareness of health, and the desire to track fitness goals. This trend was boosted by the pandemic, and has…

Hot drinks is set to see decline in retail volume terms and a stagnant performance in retail current value terms in 2023. Tea is set to see the best performance, maintaining current value growth, while coffee is set to see stagnancy due to the…

Gross consumer lending’s growth is continuing to outperform outstanding balance, driven by card lending, as local consumers spend more with the reopening of society and cross-border travel. However, outstanding balance on card lending (encompassing…

The smaller value category of sticking plasters/adhesive bandages continues to see further product differentiation and development through material diversification to attract consumers with innovative formats. For instance, JW Pharmaceutical has been…

Personal luxury retail value sales increased by 12% in 2023 to amount to KRW22.0 trillion, supported by growth recorded by leading brand providers, such as Louis Vuitton Korea Ltd and Richemont Korea Ltd. 2023 sales growth was fuelled by individuals…

Overall sales of other dairy products are set to continue to decline in both retail volume and current value terms in 2023. Amongst the various categories within dairy products and alternatives, other dairy was the least affected by the pandemic’s…

Retail volume sales of vacuum cleaners as a whole are falling in 2023, despite another dynamic performance by robotic vacuum cleaners with robust double-digit volume and value growth. Standard vacuum cleaners are relatively mature in South Korea,…

Store cards in South Korea is experiencing a trend of stagnant growth. Despite the enduring appeal of store cards and their unique set of benefits, the growth rates in both 2022 and 2023 feature stabilisation rather than substantial expansion.…

Alongside the home café trend, a notable shift has occurred in bakery products, transcending the long-held bias that bread cannot serve as a meal replacement - often referred to as the “breadcrumbs prejudice”. This shift emphasises the savoury,…

In 2023, the global supply chain of edible oil raw materials has faced significant disruptions due to climate change and geopolitical complexities, impacting availability in South Korea. The country's reliance on external sources has made it…

As local consumers continue to purchase apparel in 2023, sales of fashionable accessories such as belts, scarves, hats/caps and ties are also increasing. Therefore, these types of accessories continue to post positive retail volume and current value…

As local consumers continue to enjoy greater freedom outside of the home and participate in outdoor activities such as running or cycling, there is increasing demand for sports nutrition products which can be consumed on the go. This is driving the…

Ginseng remains by far the largest value category within dietary supplements in South Korea. As ginseng is well-known for its overall immunity support, this category is experiencing stable demand, whilst also remaining popular for gifting, with red…

Raw materials shortages and supply chain disruptions caused by geopolitical issues (e.g., global semiconductor chip shortage, war in Ukraine) resulted in delays in the production of digital cameras and subsequently a decline in retail volume sales in…

Energy drinks is set to see dynamic double-digit off-trade and on-trade volume growth in 2023. On-trade sales were hit hard by the pandemic, and despite strong growth, sales are not expected to return to the 2019 level in 2023. However, the off-trade…

Retail volume sales of major appliances are declining in 2023, albeit by a slower rate compared to 2022, attributed to inflation and consumers’ constrained budgets. During the pandemic, demand for many consumer appliances experienced an unprecedented…

One of the most significant global issues concerning consumer credit is BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) services, which enable consumers without sufficient funds to make an immediate purchase, locally known as “thin filers”, to obtain goods and pay at a…

As in previous years, an increasing number of hotels new to South Korea are emerging. Among them, some are international brands, some are the expansion of established brands, while others are domestic names.

With the full lifting of COVID-19-related social distancing measures through 2022 and 2023, and consumers therefore drastically reducing the amount of time spent at home, the retail volume growth rate of overall consumer electronics in South Korea…

Staple foods, closely associated with economic conditions in South Korea, is experiencing slower growth rates in many categories due to recent external economic factors. Elevated inflation rates have led to an upward trend in retail value sales…