Ramen, Mayonnaise, Cosmetics... A 500,000 Vegan Market Opens

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] The distribution industry is targeting the rapidly growing vegetarian population by prominently featuring vegan products to capture niche markets.

According to the Korea Vegetarian Union on the 28th, the domestic vegetarian population reached 1.5 million last year, of which about 500,000 are vegans. While general vegetarianism means not eating meat or fish, veganism refers to a strict vegetarian diet that completely excludes animal-based foods such as milk and eggs.

Veganism also aligns with the "ethical consumption" trend, where consumers consider the environmental and social impacts when purchasing products. This awareness has arisen because excessive meat consumption reduces environmental sustainability, with 18% of annual greenhouse gas emissions coming from livestock farming. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, greenhouse gas emissions from livestock exceed those generated by all global transportation.

With the recent rapid growth of the e-commerce market, demand for purchasing vegan products online is expected to increase annually. However, on online malls, customers must access the product detail pages to see the ingredients, making it somewhat inconvenient to verify vegan status compared to offline stores where physical products are displayed.

In response, Lotte Mart Mall is holding a special exhibition featuring only vegan products to enable customers to conveniently purchase vegan items online. The "Vegan Product Exhibition," running from the 30th of this month to the 29th of next month, offers a total of 570 vegan products, including food items such as fruits, vegetables, snacks, and ready meals, as well as household goods and cosmetics. Key products include "Ottogi Chaehwang Ramen," made with 10 kinds of vegetables, "Habit Healthy Mayo," a plant-based mayonnaise made from soybeans, and "Balea," a cosmetic brand that does not conduct animal testing.

Jung Anna, MD of Lotte Mart, said, "As awareness of ethical consumption spreads and the vegetarian population rapidly increases, veganism is gradually expanding into a mega trend. Lotte Mart plans to continue holding various themed exhibitions to meet the diversifying demands of customers."