As the bitter cold snap continues with subzero temperatures day after day, retailers are enjoying a "cold wave boom." At convenience stores, sales of winter snacks such as roasted sweet potatoes, steamed buns, and hot drinks are rising alongside hot packs, cold-weather gear, and cold medicine, while department stores and the fashion industry are also seeing increased demand for heavy outerwear and winter accessories.
According to related industries on the 22nd, demand for cold-weather gear and winter snacks has been rising as the cold snap persists. According to GS Retail, which operates the GS25 convenience store chain, sales of hot packs, a representative winter item, rose 42.7% from a year earlier from the 1st to the 20th of this month. During the same period, sales of masks (33.5%), thermal underwear (84.9%), tights (31.3%), cold medicine (18.6%), red ginseng and ginseng drinks (20.8%), and oriental medicine drinks (21.7%) also increased. In particular, the growth widened over the two days of the 19th to 20th, when the cold snap intensified. Hot pack sales jumped 198.5%, and cold-weather items such as gloves and earmuffs surged 163.3%.
According to BGF Retail, which operates the CU convenience store chain, comparing sales of major winter items through the 20th of this month with last month, sales of ready-to-eat roasted sweet potatoes rose 20.4%, and sales of steamed buns (hobang) increased 11.5%. During the same period, oriental medicine drinks rose 21%, hot Americanos 29.8%, hot packs 38.6%, cold-weather gear 32.8%, and cold medicine 18.1%.
At the Seven-Eleven convenience store chain, hot pack sales rose 40% from the previous month. During the same period, sales of health functional foods increased 85%, and sales of cold medicine, masks, and moisturizing cosmetics rose 10%. Household goods retailer Asung Daiso Co. also saw hot pack sales rise 20% from the previous month during the same period.
A convenience store industry official said, "As the weather gets colder, the consumer trend of 'dress warmly, eat warm food, and don't catch a cold' is growing," adding, "In particular, because convenience stores are places where cold-weather, thermal, and health management products can be easily purchased, the number of consumers buying related products has increased."
Department stores and the fashion industry are also seeing sales affected by the cold snap. Unlike last year, this year's ongoing cold wave and subzero temperatures from the start of the year have translated into higher sales of seasonal products centered on winter outerwear. During the New Year sale from the 2nd to the 18th of this month, men's and women's fashion sales at Shinsegae Department Store rose 25.3% and 24%, respectively, from a year earlier. At Lotte Department Store, overall sales in the fashion field increased 30%, and during the same period Hyundai Department Store saw men's fashion sales rise 22.5%.
In particular, as more customers seek indoor shopping to escape the deep freeze, food and beverage (F&B) sales inside department stores also increased. According to Lotte Department Store, since the start of this month, dining sales at major locations such as Jamsil (30%), Incheon (20%), and Nowon (50%) have posted double-digit growth.
Demand for cold-weather items has also surged on online fashion platforms. According to 29CM, from the 1st to the 19th of this month, transaction value for fur jackets rose 154% from a year ago, padded jackets 62%, and thermal underwear more than 82%. Zigzag, operated by Kakao Style, also saw transaction value for knit hairbands soar 1,640% during the same period, while wool shorts (802%), fur coats (786%), and frill knits (586%) also increased year over year.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the morning low fell to around minus 14 C in Seoul that day, marking the cold snap's peak. With the daytime high also hovering below zero, the bitter cold is expected to continue.
With the cold wave forecast to continue through this weekend, consumers are likely to keep seeking cold-weather gear and winter snacks for the time being. A retail industry official said, "As long as temperatures remain below zero, the 'cold wave boom' centered on cold-weather gear and winter snacks is likely to hold," adding, "More retailers are likely to consider extending the share of winter season products beyond their original plans."