With Chuseok this year (Sept. 25) about a month away, retailers have kicked off the peak season early in August, unleashing a flood of pre-order sales. The most striking trend is polarization. Convenience store GS25 is selling both a two-bottle wine set priced at 12,900 won and a five-grand chateau vintage set priced at 9,499,000 won. CU has rolled out a 29,800 won Pikachu apple set alongside a 31 million won Humanoid Robot.
The industry said it is targeting both the value-for-money demand that seeks to reduce burdens as inflation lingers and the demand to spend "big" on items that fit personal tastes simultaneously.
◇ Practical sets in the 50,000 won range keep coming
Hypermarkets are leading in the value segment. Lotte Mart added two more mixed fruit sets, first introduced last Chuseok, expanding to four items. A set containing imported fruits such as dragon fruit, avocado, and apple mango is 59,900 won. Apples from Chungju and Shingo pears are offered at 49,900 won for L.POINT members. For livestock sets under 100,000 won, it introduced seven new items including frozen ribs and marinated meats, selling U.S. LA galbi and premium Korean beef, known as hanwoo, butcher's cuts for 99,000 won.
E-MART priced 3.8 kilograms of apples from renowned production areas at 59,500 won with event card payment, and the Geumhandon assorted set at 59,840 won. It also developed a new practical seafood set, offering the Yeonggwang white corvina set at 47,840 won.
Convenience stores targeted simplified ancestral rites tables. GS25 increased 10,000–50,000 won products, including assorted jeon at 45,900 won, a dumpling set at 30,000 won, and freshly made kimchi at 15,900 won. E-MART24 exclusively introduced six small-pack premium Korean beef, known as hanwoo, sets divided into 1–2 servings of sirloin, striploin, and top blade for those spending the holiday alone, the so-called "honmyeongjok."
Online retailers also tapped practical demand. Kurly launched an early-bird promotion from the 19th to the 31st of this month, discounting more than 1,800 items by up to 77%. It expanded the free-shipping threshold to include practical sets priced at 40,000 won or less.
◇ Premium wines priced at 10 million won, too
High-end gift sets also stand out. Galleria Department Store unveiled a premium five-delicacies set featuring Hokkaido sea urchin roe, premium Korean beef, known as hanwoo, red Shine Muscat, caviar, and organic olive oil for 1.6 million won. Hyundai Department Store, for the first time this year, expanded its pre-order lineup to beauty, electronics, and tableware, and included a functional pillow by Swedish brand Hästens for 1 million won.
Hotels emphasized exclusivity. Josun Hotels & Resorts offered a premium wine set bundling Méo-Camuzet from Vosne-Romanée in Burgundy and Champagne Salon 2015 Magnum for 10 million won. A luxury premium Korean beef, known as hanwoo, VIP set containing only the prime cuts from a single cow is 1.5 million won, and the Beopseongpo Yeonggwang dried yellow croaker special grade set, composed of 10 fish measuring 27 centimeters or more, is 1.1 million won. Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul is selling a premium premium Korean beef, known as hanwoo, set featuring 1++ grade grilling cuts for 780,000 won, and the top-tier icon wine Montes Taita for 590,000 won. Shinsegae Department Store's female-cow premium Korean beef, known as hanwoo, The Prime Steak is 660,000 won.
◇ Who would buy this? Even robot dogs
Unconventional gifts centered on convenience stores are also drawing attention. CU included in its roughly 710 gift sets a 31 million won bipedal Humanoid Robot, a 3.99 million won robot dog, and a 2.7 million won massage chair. A CU official said, "The 75 million won whisky 'Glen Grant 65 Years' we offered as a Chuseok gift last year actually sold," adding, "Some products are priced lower than the internet's lowest price, so unexpected demand emerges; it is not just a display for show." GS25 is also selling the social robot Riku, which recognizes user emotions and responds with expressions and movements, for 5.5 million won, and the Go-playing robot Sense Robot Go for 1.58 million won.
Gold-tech gifts reflecting strong gold prices also increased. GS25 rolled out 15 gold and silver products, and CU introduced 12 pure-gold items. Character and collaboration products targeting personal tastes also spread. CU launched 20 sets using the Pokémon intellectual property (IP), and 7-Eleven added nine exclusive Hello Kitty goods, signature cakes from Lotte Hotel Bakery Delica Hans, and meat products collaborated with famous galbi restaurants such as Samwon Garden and Ganggangsullae as holiday gifts, respectively.
Inha University consumer studies professor Lee Eun-hee said, "It is the result of selective consumption where people usually save but spend big on what they like," adding, "Because individual consumption itself is ambivalent, the widening gap in gift set price ranges appears to be a natural trend."