'Magnet, Blackboard, and Humidity Control' Features... The Secret Behind the Popularity of 'Paint'

Desk painted with chalkboard paint.
[Photo by Samhwa Paint]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] As non-face-to-face (untact) sales of home interior-related products are rising, 'functional paint' is standing out. This is analyzed to be because, with growing interest in home interiors, consumers can purchase small quantities of special-function paints in package forms that even beginners can easily use.

The best-selling paints recently are 'Chalkboard' and 'Magneton.' As the product names suggest, Chalkboard is a functional paint that turns walls into blackboards when applied, and Magneton is a functional paint that turns walls into magnetic surfaces.

According to Home&Tonez, a color interior specialist company established by Samhwa Paint on the 8th to strengthen its B2C (business-to-consumer) business, the most sought-after functional paint by consumers is Chalkboard, whose sales jumped by 55.4% compared to the first half of last year. Magneton also grew by 0.7% during the same period.

The strong trend is expected to continue in the second half of the year. Chalkboard sales in the second quarter rose 8.1% compared to the first quarter, and Magneton increased by 2.9%. A Home&Tonez official said, "Since the upward trend continues even in the off-season of the second quarter, we expect strong sales to be maintained in the third and fourth quarters as the moving season approaches."

The secret behind the Chalkboard and Magneton boom lies in the 'customized marketing' strategy. Home&Tonez launched Disney editions of Chalkboard and Magneton last year. The package design featuring Disney characters loved by children was added, and in the case of Chalkboard, consumers can choose from as many as 1,013 colors in addition to the typical black and green chalkboard colors.

As children were unable to attend school due to the COVID-19 pandemic and spent more time at home, Home&Tonez stimulated consumers' psychology by offering diverse colors and paint solution products tailored to different spaces and situations, allowing them to decorate their homes like a 'school atmosphere at home.'

In particular, decorative paints like Chalkboard and Magneton are offered in small packages of 0.5 to 1 liter to reduce consumers' burden, and beginners can easily use them by purchasing paint containers, brushes, and rollers together as a package.

A child's room decorated with Magneton.
Photo by Samhwa Paint

The excellent performance of the products has also satisfied consumers. Chalkboard and Magneton are the only eco-friendly certified products in Korea and are harmless to children's bodies. Chalkboard, which has become a bestseller at Home&Tonez, uses special acrylic resin to meet eco-friendly standards while forming a hard coating that does not leave chalk marks.

Chalkboard paint must have the characteristic of allowing chalk to be easily written and erased, but general eco-friendly paints have the drawback that the coating is soft, leaving chalk marks when chalk is used. However, Chalkboard overcomes this drawback and uses pigments with high Mohs hardness among pigments, making it easy to write on.

Magneton, the magnetic paint, mainly consists of eco-friendly acrylic resin and iron-containing pigments. The iron-containing pigments allow magnets to stick. Generally, to make magnets stick better, paint must be applied thickly, but Magneton adheres better to magnets than other products even at the same coating thickness.

Additionally, various solution products are prepared, such as the 'Kitchen Color Construction Package for Home Cafes,' the 'Home Instagram Package for 30s and 40s Shared Generations,' and the 'Home Office Space Package.' Customers can also apply for construction consultations linked with professional installation through the shopping mall.

A Home&Tonez official said, "Among Chalkboard colors, which can be selected, blue tones that help improve concentration are popular," adding, "Paints that respond to the hot and humid summer climate and enable natural humidity control are also highly sought after by consumers."