Avoiding Restaurants Due to Infection Concerns... Sales Surge Mainly Among Single-Person Households and Dual-Income Couples
Easily Purchase Various Products... Online Side Dish Purchases Steadily Increasing
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] #Housewife Kim Song-mi had many worries about side dishes as she reduced dining out due to concerns about the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), but online grocery shopping eased her concerns significantly. Until now, she had only bought bottled water or ready-to-eat meals online, but always tasted side dishes in person before purchasing. However, after trying online side dish purchases on a friend's recommendation, she was very satisfied with the results. Kim said, "Compared to offline, the origin labeling and nutritional information are displayed clearly, and there is a wide variety of products, breaking the prejudice that I couldn't trust online purchases," adding, "I plan to continue using online grocery shopping because I can conveniently and reasonably buy various products."
The era of buying 'banchan' (side dishes) online has officially arrived. As more consumers shop online, side dishes are becoming popular purchase items. In particular, side dish sales have surged recently due to the impact of COVID-19.
According to eBay Korea on the 20th, Gmarket's side dish sales growth rate over the past week increased by 33% compared to the same period last year. Shrimp and abalone soy sauce sales rose by 222%, pickled side dishes by 50%, side dish sets by 120%, and other side dishes by 599%.
Auction's side dish sales growth rate is even more explosive. During the same period, side dish sets increased by 159%, shrimp and abalone soy sauce by 771%, braised side dishes by 92%, other side dishes by 135%, and canned side dishes by 223%, resulting in an overall side dish growth rate of 161%.
This is due to the intensified trend of avoiding dining out amid COVID-19. Additionally, perceptions of online side dishes have changed since last year. In fact, looking at Gmarket's 2019 side dish sales growth rate, it increased by 28% compared to the previous year. Considering that sales steadily increased by 34% in 2018 and 30% in 2017 compared to the previous years, it is interpreted that demand for online side dish purchases has been steadily rising. Compared to three years ago in 2016, sales have more than doubled (123%).
Looking specifically at 2019 sales data, sales of oiji (pickled cucumbers), which can be used in various ways such as pickles and pickled dishes, nearly doubled (97%) compared to 2018. Sales of shrimp and abalone soy sauce also showed a remarkable increase of 67%. Kim bugak (seaweed chips), which gained attention through broadcasts last year, saw a 42% increase in sales, jangajji (pickled vegetables) grew by 13%, and various braised, stir-fried, and seasoned side dishes each increased by 10%. Tofu, often used in stews or soups, sold 26% more than the previous year.
'Hanip Geumge Ganjang Gejang (soy sauce marinated crab) (starting at 45,900 KRW/5 packs)' uses fully filled domestic geumge (golden crab), flavored with a special soy sauce, and is sliced for easy one-bite consumption, making it popular on Gmarket. Matt Chef's 'Premium Ganjang Saeujang (soy sauce marinated shrimp) (19,900 KRW)' uses the largest farmed shrimp measuring 16?19 cm and is popular for its convenience with peeled shells. 'Banchan Cheonguk' (Side Dish Heaven) offers a selection of 9 out of 120 varieties of handmade side dishes, making it a best product in Gmarket's side dish category.
During the same period, Auction saw a 9% increase in pickled side dishes such as jangajji and a 16% increase in braised dishes like jangjorim. Specialty food platform Permil, operated by Life with a Dining Table, also reported a 17% growth in side dish sales compared to the previous year. Permil's 'Jaharam Maesil Fermented Soy Sauce Abalone (1.2kg/46,900 KRW)' uses domestic abalone aged in plum fermented liquid and organic soy sauce, eliminating fishy odors and the typical heaviness of soy sauce, making it perfect to eat over rice without additional side dishes. Permil's 'Kim Jeong-bae Master’s Low-Sodium Aged Jeotgal (fermented seafood) 13 varieties (starting at 4,500 KRW)' is popular as it offers essential rice side dishes such as squid jeot, hairtail ssamjang jeot, and sea snail jeot all in one place. It is characterized by cave aging to realize the unique flavor of traditional jeotgal.
The high demand for online side dishes is attributed to the advantage of being able to conveniently browse and purchase a variety of products at reasonable prices. Many product reviews mention that the side dishes are well-prepared, and detailed explanations of ingredient origins and other features make it as easy to choose as offline shopping, providing satisfaction.
A Gmarket marketing official said, "As the number of single-person households who do not cook at home and busy dual-income couples increases, it seems that open markets where side dishes can be purchased with a single click are becoming popular," adding, "Besides the recent impact of COVID-19, demand is expected to increase based on various strengths, and competition in side dish marketing within the industry is also expected to intensify."
Meanwhile, as the home meal trend deepens, dining out is steadily decreasing. The Korea Foodservice Industry Research Institute under the Korea Foodservice Association reported that 85.7% of surveyed businesses said customer numbers decreased due to COVID-19.
The survey targeted 600 member establishments of the Foodservice Association and compared customer numbers during the two weeks around the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Korea on the 20th of last month. The average customer decrease rate among businesses experiencing a decline was 29.1%. By service type, 87.3% of businesses saw a decrease in dine-in customers, 57.8% saw a decrease in takeout orders, and 37.5% saw a decrease in delivery orders.
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