South Korea

As the impact of COVID-19 continued to linger in South Korea, demand for bleach continued to rise in 2022, as local consumers focused on sterilising and disinfecting their homes to prevent infection. The South Korean government issued an official…

Sportswear surpassed the pre-pandemic level of sales in current value terms in 2021, and maintained its growth momentum in 2022, despite the surge in inflation, seeing a similar value increase as in the previous year. While inflation increased the…

Menswear surpassed the pre-pandemic levels of sales in both volume and current value terms in 2021, and continued its increasing momentum in 2022, despite the surge in inflation, with even higher growth than in the previous year. While inflation…

After it saw declines in 2020 due to COVID-19, jeans rebounded in retail volume and current value terms in 2021. However, it took a further year of growth, seen in 2022, to reach the pre-pandemic levels of sales, with growth continuing for both men’s…

In 2021, womenswear was able to rebound fully from the declines seen during the pandemic in 2020 in both retail volume and current value terms. Nevertheless, growth continued in 2022, as people continued updating their wardrobes with new clothing.…

The home seclusion trend as a result of the pandemic saw greater demand for furniture, as consumers paid greater attention to their living environments and home décor. Unfortunately, this did not benefit furniture polish, which recorded further…

For the last two years, people were stuck at home working, and went out only if necessary. However, COVID-19 restrictions were eased in April 2022, and people gradually started going back to their normal lives. Hosiery, as a necessary item when going…

Raffle was one of the most successful marketing methods in South Korea across all fashion categories in 2022, gaining significant traction amongst millennials and gen Z in particular. The products raffled are limited editions, and everyone has a fair…

Despite Korea recording the world’s lowest fertility rate in 2022, childrenswear saw increases in both retail volume and current value terms, as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in the first half of 2022. Children also started returning to school in…

As most COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in April 2022, the majority of people who worked from home started going into the office again, and people started spending more time outside the home in general. The fear of COVID-19 lessened in 2022, but…

Compared to the dynamic growth rates recorded by automatic dishwashing in 2020 and 2021 at the height of the pandemic in South Korea, which saw many local consumers spend prolonged time at home, working remotely and cooking more frequently, retail…

Retail tissue was very little impacted by COVID-19 in South Korea. There was barely any stockpiling, and only a few delays in terms of delivery. Therefore, compared with other countries, which saw a high number of deaths and people panic-buying…

While healthy retail current value growth is expected for staple foods in 2022, comparable to that seen when the pandemic hit in 2020, retail volume sales are set to see a slower increase than value sales, due to unit price increases. The raw…

Sales of breakfast cereals are expected to continue their growth trajectory in retail current value terms in 2022, with growth backed by price increases for grains, resulting from issues in global supply chains. However, while all categories are set…

After its first release in 2014, disposable sanitary protection underwear steadily gained popularity over the years. Nonetheless, changes in lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic became a catalyst for sales of disposable sanitary protection…

The emergence of the pandemic in South Korea saw local consumers spend prolonged time at home due to various restrictions in place to control the spread of the virus, including remote working and studying. Therefore, cleaning habits and individual…

In 2022, social distancing restrictions, including the limitation on the number of people gathering together, night curfews, and mandatory vaccination status to enter indoor facilities, were lifted. As a result, consumer foodservice in Korea saw a…

Heightened hygiene awareness resulting from the pandemic in South Korea was extended to toilets and the bathroom area, as consumers remained fastidious in their cleaning and sanitising routines at the end of the review period. In July 2022, the South…

Sales of sweet spreads are set to see a rebound in current value terms in 2022, after sluggish sales in 2021. However, performances are expected to vary at a category level. Considering South Koreans’ lives and dietary patterns, rather than as a…

Surface care received a significant boost to sales in 2020 following the emergence of the pandemic in South Korea. Prolonged home seclusion due to restrictions on mobility and concerns over contamination in the home drove up demand, with sales…