In the housewarming and grand opening gift market, products imbued with "luck," such as misfortune-warding pollock and moon jars, are gaining a stronger presence. More people are giving gifts that carry meanings of wealth, luck and prosperity. As uncertainty about the future grows amid a prolonged slump, high inflation and a tough job market, the industry says luck-seeking consumption is expanding from self-purchases into the realm of gifting.
According to the retail industry on the 28th, interest in products symbolizing luck has been steadily rising. Ohouse analyzed search data from January to May this year and found searches for moon jar planters jumped 814% from a year earlier. During the same period, searches for moon jar lighting increased 680%, while searches for moon jar posters and mini moon jars rose 454% and 317%, respectively. In particular, searches for Ohouse misfortune-warding pollock were up 1,300% year over year.
According to the fashion and lifestyle platform 29CM, searches for misfortune-warding pollock in the past month (May 19–June 18) increased 66% from a year earlier. During the same period, searches for the "misfortune-warding" keyword rose 44%. Through the 18th of this year, cumulative searches for the misfortune-warding keyword reached about 25,000. Recently, items such as salt jars and Buddha objets, which are said to block bad luck in the home, have also drawn attention. Over the past year (March 2025–February 2026), sales on KakaoTalk Gift for items containing luck-related keywords such as "misfortune-warding," "luck," "pollock," "talisman" and "four-leaf clover" increased 37% from a year earlier.
A representative example is misfortune-warding pollock. Since old times, people have hung pollock at business openings or house moves with the meaning of warding off misfortune and inviting wealth and fortune. Recently, it has been reinterpreted as interior decor using fabric and wood, becoming familiar to younger consumers. In fact, the "money pollock magnet" released by Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corporation (KOMSCO) in February sold out its initial stock on launch day and continued to sell out through the fourth round.
It is the same with moon jars. In practice, moon jars are being reborn beyond ceramics costing several million won into a variety of products such as mini objets, mood lights and paintings. Major e-commerce platforms such as Naver, Coupang, Ohouse and Idus are introducing moon jars and misfortune-warding pollock as "recommended housewarming gifts" and "grand opening gifts."
College student Nam Su-ji, 26, said, "With 30,000–40,000 won, you can buy a good-quality misfortune-warding pollock product," adding, "When I give gifts to friends who moved or started a business, I end up buying it often because it carries a better meaning than tissues or detergent." Office worker Kang Young-mi, 33, said, "A close friend opened a restaurant in the neighborhood, and since the economy is so tough these days, I gifted a moon jar painting hoping the business would do well," adding, "Some may think it's superstition, but I just wanted good energy to reach them."
This is seen as influenced by a shift in housewarming and grand opening gift culture from practicality to meaning. In the past, housewarming gifts centered on everyday necessities like tissues, detergent and towels, but recently more consumers are seeking gifts that carry wishes for the recipient's success, happiness and health. A retail industry official said, "Misfortune-warding pollock or talismans once had a strong superstitious image and were considered items people were hesitant to show, but as they've been reinterpreted into key rings, objets and interior decor, they've become more accessible to consumers."
The industry views this as an extension of the "luckysumer (Lucky+Consumer)" trend. The tendency to consume not just a product's function or price but also luck, comfort and positive meaning has grown stronger. An e-commerce industry official said, "As uncertainty about the future grows due to high inflation, the economic downturn and a tough job market, a mood has formed in which people buy luck-themed products as gifts for housewarmings, grand openings and promotions," adding, "In particular, the fact that you can convey wishes for the other person's success, health and happiness without large expense has appealed to consumers."
Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer studies at Inha University, said, "Modern people live with anxiety and earnestness as competition intensifies and opportunities dwindle," adding, "Luck-themed gifts for housewarmings or grand openings are a form of consumption that symbolically expresses this and offers comfort. It reflects the psychology of wanting to convey one's wish for the other person to do well by embedding it in an object."