Market research on consumer products, commercial industries, demo...
Market research on consumer products, commercial industries, demographics trends and consumer lifestyles in South Korea.
After many years of growth, in 2023 toys and games in South Korea witnessed a notable current value decline, with traditional toys and games seeing only a slight fall in sales, and video games a stronger decrease. Toys and games witnessed a decrease…
After seeing a fairly steep decline in 2022, traditional toys and games in South Korea saw a further small fall in sales in current value terms in 2023. Only half the categories within traditional toys and games showed growth in 2023, with just four…
In 2023, video games in South Korea experienced a notable current value decline. This turnaround, after years of growth, was propelled by various factors, foremost among them being the waning impact of COVID-19, which led to a resurgence in outdoor…
In 2023, South Korea’s GDP growth slowed to 1.3%, due to decreased export demand and subdued domestic demand, with the country’s economic growth underperforming the Asia Pacific average. Despite a decline in inflation, it remained above the 2% mark,…
Gardening in South Korea witnessed a slight current value decline in 2023, although many categories maintained solid growth. For instance, gardening equipment experienced increasing sales, due to the rising popularity of gardening as a recreational…
In 2023, home and garden in South Korea saw low current value growth, but faced mixed performances across various categories, influenced by the broader economic landscape and shifting consumer preferences. Real GDP growth slowed in 2023, impacting…
Home furnishings in Korea saw another year of current value decline in 2023, although this was slower than in the previous year. However, not all categories saw a declining trend; for instance, barbecues witnessed solid value growth in 2023. This was…
Home improvement in South Korea maintained dynamic current value growth in 2023, with a double-digit increase, maintaining the trend seen for the previous two years. Bathroom and sanitaryware maintained strong growth in home improvement in 2023, due…
In 2023, homewares in South Korea maintained a current value decline, although this was mainly due to normalisation after a peak in sales during the pandemic in 2020, and sales remained far above the pre-pandemic level. Dinnerware continued to see…
Retail volume and current value sales of cigarettes declined in 2023, maintaining the trend seen in 2022. Nevertheless, cigarettes still constitute a large proportion of sales in the overall tobacco industry. Whilst cigarettes experienced a negative…
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…
In 2023, heated tobacco products in South Korea maintained double-digit retail volume and current value growth. The competition for the top spots in heated tobacco is intensifying. KT&G, Philip Morris Korea, and Rothmans Far East (BAT) are all…
In 2023, overall retail current value sales of tobacco in South Korea showed a positive growth rate compared with the previous year, yet the growth rate was minimal, resulting in no significant difference in actual sales compared with 2022.
Contact lenses in South Korea is set to maintain solid but slower current value growth in 2024. Multifocal lenses are gaining significant popularity in the country, largely driven by the ageing population. As the demographic shift towards an older…
In 2024, overall eyewear in South Korea is set to see current value growth. The prevalence of vision impairments is on the rise in Korea, with an increasing number of people affected by presbyopia, myopia, and hyperopia. The overall increase in…
Spectacles in South Korea saw only slow current value growth in 2023, and this trend is anticipated to continue into 2024, with the expectation of a further slowdown in year-on-year growth. However, within spectacles, the three categories – readymade…
In 2023, sales of sunglasses in South Korea soared in current value terms, seeing a double-digit increase, reflecting a significant upward trend that is expected to accelerate in 2024. This impressive growth can be attributed to a variety of factors,…
This report visually explores everyday habits and behaviours which reflect consumers' beliefs and values, linking behavioural trends with purchase and consumption habits.
In 2023, alcoholic drinks in South Korea turned to slight total volume decline. The industry navigated a complex landscape marked by high expectations for post-pandemic recovery, which was somewhat dampened by significant consumer cost burden due to…
Despite expectations that the endemic phase of the pandemic would herald a second year of dynamic revival for the on-trade, and a flourishing year for total volume sales of beer in 2023, beer in South Korea experienced stagnation, with declines seen…
Consumer Lifestyles offers valuable insights into key consumer attitudes and current thinking, and their impact on purchasing and consumption habits; quantifying behaviours, preferences and motivations, and aligning them with broader trends.
RTDs in South Korea saw exceptional total volume growth in 2023, mainly driven by off-trade growth, although on-trade sales also saw a double-digit increase. Growth was primarily driven by an increase in light home drinking, and a rise in young…
Sprits in South Korea recorded a total volume decline in 2023. However, not all categories faced a negative performance. For instance, whiskies demonstrated robust growth, notably influenced by the behaviours of Generation Z of legal drinking age,…
In South Korea, the alcoholic drinks industry has been rapidly evolving, witnessing a swift transition from imported beers to craft beers, then to wines, and subsequently to whiskies and highballs. The industry is now speculating about the next big…
Chocolate confectionery in South Korea is expected to see low retail current value growth in 2024, along with marginal retail volume decline. Mixed developments are being seen in 2024, influenced by broader market trends and changing consumer…
Historically, gum experienced long-term stagnation or decline, with even more significant falls in sales seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, sales of gum in South Korea saw a resurgence in 2023 following the end of the pandemic, and growth is…
In 2024, ice cream in South Korea is expected to see trends similar to the previous year, with low retail volume growth and more dynamic current value growth. Consumer spending patterns reflect a growing preference for premium and healthier ice cream…
Savoury snacks in South Korea is set to maintain solid growth in both retail volume and current value terms in 2024. With a declining youth population in the country, consumers in their 30s and 40s are driving the popularity of savoury snacks,…
Snacks in South Korea is set to maintain solid retail current value growth in 2024, affected by multiple influences. Inflation, along with the rising costs of raw materials and labour, is exerting significant pressure on manufacturers, leading to…
Sugar confectionery in South Korea saw solid retail volume and current value growth in 2023, and this trend is expected to be maintained in 2024. Standard mints is set to see one of the strongest growth rates in sugar confectionery in South Korea in…
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…
The commodities country overview provides comprehensive data on production, consumption and price trends on key commodities markets. The commodities overview in South Korea covers production and consumption trends in agricultural commodities, energy…
Total baby food packaging volumes continued to rise in South Korea in 2023. In this year, plastic pouches experienced growth in packaging volumes in baby food, as these offer exceptional convenience for parents, providing a lightweight, portable, and…
Total confectionery packaging volumes increased in South Korea in 2023, seeing a gradual recovery after sales declined during the pandemic. Flexible packaging remained the dominant pack type in chocolate confectionery in 2023, as this offers…
Total dairy packaging volumes saw another year of decline in South Korea in 2023, with falling volumes across all the main categories. Although yoghurt and sour milk products also saw a decline in packaging volumes in 2023, it still accounted for the…
Total meals and soups packaging volumes continued to see a dramatic rise in 2023. Flexible plastic was the leading pack type in meals and soups packaging in South Korea in 2023, used across most categories, as this offers functionality, convenience,…
Within plant-based dairy in South Korea, plant-based milk was the only category with notable packaging volumes in 2023, as plant-based yoghurt and cheese are still in their early stages of development. Brick liquid cartons is the preferred pack type…
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…
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 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…
Total sweet spreads packaging volumes maintained growth in South Korea in 2023. Jams and preserves continued to account for the highest packaging volumes, and also saw the highest growth. Glass jars continued to be the dominant packaging for sweet…