South Korea

Retail volume sales of refrigeration appliances continue to decline in 2023, following the trends of a post-pandemic era, inflation, and reduced consumer spending. The volume decline is not as steep as the previous year, and overall demand remains…

In 2023, the number of debit cards in circulation in South Korea continues to gradually decline following a steady upward trend over 2019-2021. The decline is primarily underpinned by two fundamental factors; namely the declining teenage population…

Heightened consumer interest in health continues to be a prominent trend following the pandemic in South Korea. It has played a pivotal role in shaping the current baking trend of reducing sugar and oil content, while emphasising natural fermentation…

Increasing media coverage about high consumption of sugar, fat and salt raising the chances of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer, has increased demand for products low in these ingredients. Concerns about…

Consumer demand has been shifting from manufactured goods back towards services. Due to this, value sales of experiential luxury grew by 13% to amount to KRW642 million in 2023, boosted by wealthier individuals resuming their normal activities,…

The self-medication trend is growing in South Korea, supporting further sales growth for analgesics, and cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies, especially since the prevalence of the “tripledemic” in the country, consisting of COVID-19,…

Total processed and fruit and vegetables packaging volumes maintained slow, stable growth in 2023. Within frozen processed potatoes, flexible plastic was the only pack type with notable packaging volumes in South Korea in 2023, due to its…

In the wake of inflationary pressures, there has been a surprising reluctance amongst individuals to engage in activities outside the home, including dining out, which contributed to lower than expected growth in consumer foodservice in 2023. This…

Demand for bottled water in South Korea is set to continue to rise in volume terms both off-trade and on-trade in 2023. Throughout the pandemic, buying bottled water for home consumption became a habit. Consumers who had previously purchased bottled…

The lingering impact of the pandemic, greater exposure to digital screens, and generally fast-paced lifestyles are continuing to affect the local population’s ability to relax and sleep, with heightened stress known to be a major factor impacting…

Sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks in South Korea is set to maintain retail volume and current value growth in 2024, with growth anticipated for all the main categories. In particular, remarkable growth is expected for cereal bars and…

Total packaging volumes declined in processed meat and seafood for a second year in South Korea in 2023, although this was a continued normalisation process after the pandemic, and volumes remained higher than in 2019. Chilled processed meat…

Although growth slowed from the previous year, mass beauty and personal care maintained solid current value growth in South Korea in 2023. Mass colour cosmetics and general purpose body care were amongst the categories that saw healthy growth. Mass…

Despite the low birth rate in South Korea, current value growth was maintained in baby and child-specific products in 2023. Parents are becoming increasingly savvy in terms of purchasing products that suit their children, regardless of whether they…

Premium beauty and personal care maintained solid but slowing current value growth in South Korea in 2023. Within premium beauty and personal care, fragrances, BB/CC creams, hand care, and lipstick demonstrated robust growth, amongst others. These…

Although it saw a decline in packaging volumes in 2023, PET bottles remained the predominant pack type in sauces, dips and condiments packaging in South Korea in 2023. PET bottles offer convenience and practicality, making them suitable for a wide…

Cigars and cigarillos in South Korea has shown significant increases in retail volume sales for four consecutive years, with double-digit growth seen in 2023. One of the main drivers behind the growth in consumption of cigars and cigarillos is a…

Air treatment products in South Korea is exhibiting a mixed performance. Cooling appliances are mostly experiencing positive demand due to global warming and exceedingly hot summers in the country, whereas air purifiers and humidifiers are…

Post-pandemic, packaged food players are making efforts to meet various consumer needs due to the increasing preference for home-cooked meals. This movement involves developing and launching multiple food products in various formats. For example,…

The idea of health and wellness varies at a category level within staple foods. For instance, high fibre products that use whole grains have a strong position in rice, baked goods, and breakfast cereals. Sales of grain-added rice, such as brown rice,…

During the pandemic, South Korean consumers became more conscious of the need for healthy hydration and the reduction of sugar consumption. This led to dynamic growth for natural bottled water and “water-like” natural RTD tea. Although decline was…

Plant-based dairy experienced a notable increase in sales over the review period, and this is set to continue in 2023. In South Korea, plant-based dairy is primarily dominated by plant-based milk, as plant-based yoghurt and cheese are still in their…

In 2023, drinking milk products in South Korea is expected to continue to thrive in current value terms, building on the positive growth seen in the previous year. However, this growth trajectory varies significantly at the category level, and the…

Retail volume sales of food preparation appliances are declining for a second consecutive year in 2023. This is a trend evident across the category, with juice extractors experiencing the steepest decline. This is being driven by several factors, but…

In 2022, South Korea witnessed growth in both the issuance and usage of pre-paid cards in line with greater mobility outside of the home. Shinhan Card, in particular, played a role in driving this growth, reporting a remarkable increase in the retail…

The landscape of card transactions in South Korea is undergoing a remarkable transformation marked by a gradual decline in cash usage. This paradigm shift is primarily driven by the widespread adoption of mobile financial services, a trend that has…

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…

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…

Category players are customising their products to cater for various formats demanded by consumers sensitive to new lifestyle trends, such as South Korea's millennials and Generation Z, to maximise convenience. For instance, one of the habits among…

In 2023, there continues to be a noticeable revival in retail and foodservice volume sales of rice in South Korea. While the latter channel was negatively impacted by foodservice closures and restrictions during the pandemic, a declining trend in…

In 2022, health and wellness hot drinks in Korea saw a trend towards consumers looking to reduce potentially harmful ingredients, rather than adding extra benefits. This led to growing consumer demand for better for you products, such as low/no sugar…

Aftermarket sales of in-car navigation systems are set to continue to see significant declines in retail volume and current value terms in 2023, as these products are being replaced by high-tech built-in navigation systems, as well as smartphones. As…

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,…

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…