The displays in retail stores have taken on a noticeably different look ahead of Valentine's Day on Saturday the 14th. Breaking from the tradition of chocolates playing the "leading role," gift options targeting personal tastes—such as character goods and beauty items—have surged. Industry watchers said that amid high inflation and heavier pressure around gift-giving, more people are seeking products they can use for a long time or experiences they can enjoy, rather than consumption that disappears after eating.
According to the retail industry on the 10th, Valentine's Day promotional displays are being filled with products that play to each major channel's strengths. Rather than putting chocolate itself at the forefront, each distribution channel is pushing taste-driven products in categories where it is confident, with the calculation of capturing holiday demand.
Convenience stores are a prime example. The four convenience store chains (GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, E-MART24) have assembled Valentine's Day gift sets centered on character goods. By placing items that can be used in everyday life—such as keyrings, pouches, tumblers, and accessories—front and center, they are emphasizing "gifts that remain in daily life" instead of "gifts that end with eating."
GS Retail's convenience store GS25 introduced gift sets using popular character intellectual property (IP) such as Monchhichi, Mongmo, and Sherade Show, and prepared a lineup that spans a range of tastes and ages, including the virtual idol "PLAVE," Catch! Teenieping, Ultraman, and Ompangi. BGF Retail's convenience store CU highlighted retro-feel characters like Snoopy and Pokémon and expanded its lineup from small items such as acrylic and flipbook keyrings and keycaps to reusable bags, padded pouches, and Bluetooth speakers.
7-Eleven collaborated with Hello Kitty, Wiggle Wiggle, and Enough is Square to bolster goods categories such as tumblers, pouches, and keyrings in addition to chocolates, while E-MART24 pursued differentiation with exclusive curated sets using the character Shuato-ya IP. A convenience store industry official said, "Character goods drove sales growth last year, accounting for about 20%–25% of sales," and added, "Amid high inflation, as the preference grows for gifts that remain in daily life rather than consumption that disappears like chocolate, there is a stronger trend of expanding products linked to character IP."
The hotel industry is targeting couples with lodging and dining packages designed as "a day beyond a gift." It is a move to reframe Valentine's Day as experience-centered consumption. The Westin Josun Seoul and Grand Josun Busan, operated by Josun Hotels & Resort, introduced limited Valentine's Day special cakes and floral items. Mayfield Hotel Seoul prepared the Valentine's season "Sweet Like Chocolate" package that combines a stay with a dinner course and a gift of pave chocolates.
With this year's Valentine's Day falling on a Saturday and travel and stay-related spending expected to rise, the duty-free sector is also zeroing in on the "Valentine's Day boost." Shinsegae Duty Free is holding a "Happy Valentine" promotion, offering up to 40% off premium perfume and beauty brands. Focusing on niche perfume brands such as Diptyque, Santa Maria Novella, and Maison Margiela, it aims to actively court demand for "small luxury" by presenting reasonable price points.
The industry sees this shift as more than a temporary response to events and holidays; it views it as one facet of a changing consumption structure. A retail industry official said, "With high inflation prompting consumers to consider the utility of money spent on gifts, demand is dispersing from consumable gifts to products that remain, such as goods or merchandise, or to special experiences like hotel packages," adding, "Valentine's Day, too, is shifting from a chocolate-centric category to a competition to curate taste-driven products that leverage each channel's strengths."
Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer studies at Inha University, said, "In a high inflation environment, if the same amount of money is to be spent, consumption that offers long-term use or memorable experiences is perceived as relatively more attractive," adding, "In that sense, as products are curated around stimulating consumers' tastes and sensibilities, the very nature of holiday consumption is changing."