In the housewarming and grand opening gift market, products imbued with "good luck," such as misfortune-warding pollack and moon jars, are gaining traction. More people are giving gifts that carry meanings of wealth, luck, and prosperity. With uncertainty about the future growing amid a prolonged downturn, high inflation, and a tough job market, the industry says consumption that wishes for good fortune is expanding beyond purchases for oneself into the realm of gifts.
On the 28th, the retail industry said interest in products that symbolize luck has been steadily growing. 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 rose 680%, while searches for moon jar posters and mini moon jars increased 454% and 317%, respectively. In particular, searches on Ohouse for misfortune-warding pollack climbed 1,300% from a year earlier.
According to the fashion and lifestyle platform 29CM, searches for misfortune-warding pollack increased 66% year over year during the past month (May 19–June 18). 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 totaled 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 of products in KakaoTalk Gift that included luck-related keywords such as "misfortune-warding," "luck," "pollack," "talisman," and "four-leaf clover" increased 37% from a year earlier.
A representative example is the misfortune-warding pollack. Traditionally, pollack has been hung at business openings or house moves to ward off misfortune and bring wealth and blessings. Recently, it has been reinterpreted as interior accessories using fabric and wood, becoming familiar to younger consumers. In fact, the "Money Pollack Magnet" introduced in February by Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corporation (KOMSCO) sold out its initial stock on the day of release and continued to sell out through the fourth sales round.
The same goes for the moon jar. In practice, moon jars have been reborn beyond ceramics costing several million won into various products such as mini objets, mood lights, and paintings. Major e-commerce platforms like Naver, Coupang, Ohouse, and Idus are introducing moon jars and misfortune-warding pollack as "housewarming gift recommendations" and "grand opening gifts."
College student Nam Su-ji, 26, said, "You can buy a quality misfortune-warding pollack product for 30,000–40,000 won," and added, "When I give gifts to friends who have moved or started a business, I often buy it for gifts because the meaning it conveys is better 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 gave a moon jar painting hoping the business would do well," adding, "Some may think it's a superstition, but I wanted good energy to reach them."
This is seen as influenced by a shift in housewarming or 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 looking for gifts that carry wishes for the recipient's success, happiness, and health. A retail industry official said, "Misfortune-warding pollack or talismans were considered somewhat superstitious and burdensome to show openly, but as they've been reinterpreted as keyrings, objets, and interior accessories, they've become more accessible to consumers."
The industry views this as an extension of the "lucky-sumer (Lucky+Consumer)" trend. The tendency has strengthened to consume not only a product's function and price but also luck, comfort, and positive meaning. An e-commerce industry official said, "As uncertainty about the future has grown due to high inflation, an economic slump, and a tough job market, a culture has formed of buying luck products as gifts for housewarmings, openings, and promotions," adding, "In particular, it appeals to consumers that, even without a large expense, the gifts carry wishes for the other person's success, health, and happiness."
Lee Eun-hee, a professor in the Department of Consumer Science at Inha University, said, "Modern people live with anxiety and earnestness as competition intensifies and opportunities dwindle," adding, "Luck products as housewarming or opening gifts are a form of consumption that symbolically expresses this and provides comfort. It reflects a psychology of trying to convey, through an object, the hope that the other person will do well."