Products under 100,000 won account for more than 90% of sales — value is the new trend

Spam sets top the charts at both E-mart and Lotte Mart, driven by bulk corporate orders

A customer shops for Chuseok gift sets during the pre-order period at E-mart. [E-mart]
A customer shops for Chuseok gift sets during the pre-order period at E-mart. [E-mart]

As persistently high prices weigh on household budgets, value-for-money gift sets are becoming the dominant choice for Chuseok shoppers. Consumers are gravitating toward well-composed sets that offer the most bang for their won.

According to E-mart, pre-order sales of Chuseok gift sets from Aug. 6 to Sept. 13 rose 10.3 percent compared with the same period last year. By price tier, products under 50,000 won ($37) accounted for the largest share at 75.5 percent, followed by the 50,000-to-99,999-won range at 16.2 percent and products priced at 100,000 won or more at 8.3 percent.

The standout trend was the surge in the mid-price tier. Sales of gift sets in the 50,000-to-99,999-won range jumped 21.9 percent year on year, with their share of total sales expanding by 2.2 percentage points. Sets priced under 50,000 won posted a 3.5 percent sales gain but saw their share shrink by 1.6 percentage points. The over-100,000-won segment edged up just 0.3 percent in sales while its share fell 0.5 percentage points.

The shift reflects growing price sensitivity: shoppers are lowering their per-unit spend while paying closer attention to what is actually in the box. Products under 50,000 won still hold the largest share of sales, but the mid-range tier — between 50,000 and 99,999 won — showed the sharpest growth.

Top-selling items were also concentrated below the 100,000-won mark. The pre-order window tends to attract large bulk purchases by corporations taking advantage of early-bird discounts, channeling sales toward products with traditionally strong corporate gift demand. Bulk orders of 100 units or more at E-mart during the pre-order period rose 17 percent year on year.

E-mart's top-selling gift set was the CJ Spam Composite S, a bundle of canola oil and Spam priced at 39,900 won, well under the 50,000-won threshold. It was followed by a US- and Australia-sourced LA-style galbi set (2 kg, 99,800 won), a Naju pear set (54,800 won), an apple-and-pear VIP set (49,800 won) and an apple VIP set of 11 to 12 pieces (48,860 won).

By category, canned-goods gift set sales rose 15.5 percent year on year. Wine and whisky gift sets climbed 19.8 percent and 28.2 percent, respectively. In the meat category, pork gift set sales surged 58.9 percent, underscoring the clear tilt toward value-conscious buying.

The picture at Lotte Mart was similar. Value sets priced under 50,000 won — typically combining Spam, canned tuna and canola oil — dominated the pre-order sales rankings. An analysis of pre-order sales from Aug. 6 to Sept. 13 showed that the CJ Spam 12K, priced at 32,450 won, ranked first in both units sold and revenue. By revenue, it was followed by the CJ Spam Composite 100, Dongwon Tuna Richam 77, CJ Spam Composite S and Dongwon Premium 60.

Sales of canned and convenience foods rose 28.5 percent, while coffee and tea products gained 13.9 percent and healthcare products jumped 37.3 percent. The Cheong Kwan Jang Hong Sam Jin Go Immune Stick and the Dongseo Maxim Coffee Set No. 20 ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, in units sold. By price tier, products under 50,000 won made up 56 percent of Lotte Mart's pre-order sales, the 50,000-to-99,999-won range accounted for 34 percent and items at 100,000 won or more made up 10 percent.

The major hypermarkets are now wrapping up their Chuseok pre-order windows and moving into the main sales period. Both E-mart and Lotte Mart plan to run their main sales from Sept. 17 through Sept. 24, a span of eight days.


korean@heraldcorp.com