South Korea

There have been surges in raw material prices for cooking ingredients and meals in South Korea, primarily attributed to climate change and geopolitical issues, which are further pushing up the average unit price. This has created an upward trajectory…

The rise in single-person households in South Korea is leading to a growing trend towards practical and portioned consumption patterns. Many local consumers seek convenient options that align with their busy lifestyles, and frozen processed fruit and…

Apparel and footwear is posting positive but slower current value and retail volume growth in 2023 compared to the previous year, as many consumers’ needs/wants for new apparel and footwear have been largely fulfilled following the lifting of social…

Paediatric vitamins and dietary supplements remains by far the largest value category within paediatric consumer health. Despite a decline in retail volume sales in 2023, heightened health awareness since the pandemic and parents’ approach to…

As pandemic-related social distancing regulations have been largely lifted in South Korea, and consumers have resumed activities such as returning to the workplace, there has been increasing demand for personal care appliances. The return to normalcy…

In 2023, overall butter and spreads in South Korea is expected to continue to show positive growth in retail current value terms, although the growth rates vary across different categories. While inflation has contributed to the overall sales…

From 2022, alcoholic drinks companies in South Korea were required to post nutritional information, including calorie content, on the labels of their products in accordance with legislation introduced by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. As a…

Retail and business volume sales of computers and peripherals declined significantly in 2022, and this trend is expected to continue in 2023. One of the key factors contributing to decline is that the replacement cycle was advanced during the peak of…

The health and wellness industry continues to grow in importance post-pandemic as consumers become more aware of the negative health impact of processed foods, seeking healthier foods and beverages from a range of claims such as natural, organic,…

Weight management and wellbeing is recording another positive performance in 2023 as local consumers continue on their weight loss journeys following the home seclusion trend of the pandemic, which resulted in sedentary lifestyles and weight gain for…

The popularity of functional foods for health that have received “individual recognition” from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for specific functionality and safety has been gradually increasing in South Korea. In 2022, these products surpassed…

In 2023, dairy products and alternatives in South Korea is set to experience growth in retail current value terms, primarily driven by inflationary factors, which have been affecting the global dairy market. The country’s unique milk pricing system,…

Volume sales in home audio and cinema are led by home cinema and speaker systems. In 2023, retail volume sales in this category are set to grow, continuing a trend which was seen throughout the review period. With limited mobility outside of the…

In spite of the slight growth spikes seen in home care packaging in 2020 and 2021 as a result of home seclusion and heightened health awareness due to the COVID-19 virus, this industry’s unit volumes continued to grow in 2022. Growth was slightly…

Economic instability is reducing consumer spending on non-essential items such as small cooking appliances. Consumers are concerned about their financial situation and have become increasingly conscious of their expenditure, reducing their propensity…

Demand for large cooking appliances continues to experience decline in 2023, resulting from economic instability and a real estate slowdown that has persisted from the previous year. Local consumers are choosing to continue using their existing large…

Demand for home laundry appliances is growing in 2023 following a marginal dip in retail volume sales the previous year. The category’s performance is mainly attributed to a significant increase in demand for automatic dryers, while retail volume…

Although expected to see another year of retail current value decline in 2023, chocolate-based flavoured powder drinks continues to dominate other hot drinks. These are seasonal beverages, and as a product with limited diversification in taste,…

Value sales of premium and luxury cars rose by 23% to total KRW28.0 trillion in 2023, as more higher-income consumers in South Korea opted to buy a new luxury vehicle despite macroeconomic headwinds. Wealth determines the degree of demand that exists…

While overall smoking prevalence among the adult population continues to slowly decline in South Korea, demand for NRT smoking cessation aids is further falling, in line with pre-pandemic trends. NRT smoking cessation aids lost consumers’ interest…