Online Seafood Market Also Soars... Sales Volume Up 128% Year-on-Year

Market Kurly Sales Data Analysis from January to June
Fresh Peeled Shrimp Surpasses Mackerel to Take 1st Place

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] As the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) struck hard in the first half of this year, seafood sales more than doubled compared to the same period last year.

Online grocery shopping application Market Kurly announced on the 1st that, after analyzing sales data from January to June this year, keywords for online grocery shopping in the first half of the year included ‘COVID-19’, ‘seafood’, and ‘home-cooked meals’.

By category, sales in the Living & Health category, which includes masks, grew the most at 170% compared to the previous year. The top two best-selling products in this category were masks, with a cumulative total of 730,000 units sold. KF94 grade masks, known for their high protective effect, were the best sellers. Following that, the 4th best-selling product was Propolis Australian Manuka Spray, which helps with oral antibacterial and immune system strengthening. Flowers were also selected as the product with the largest sales growth. To support flower farmers who lost sales channels due to COVID-19, Market Kurly launched ‘Farmer’s Flowers’ last February, selling over 430,000 flowers in just 125 days. The most sold flower type was yellow freesia.

The second major change was the growth in seafood sales. Market Kurly’s seafood sales volume increased by 128% compared to the same period last year. The best-selling seafood was cleaned raw shrimp meat, which sold 1.5 times more than mackerel, the top seller during the same period last year. Overall shrimp product sales increased by 219% compared to the previous year. Market Kurly analyzed that shrimp’s popularity stems from its versatility in various dishes such as fried rice, pancakes, pasta, and fried foods. It is also interpreted that more people are purchasing seafood online, which they previously bought offline to check freshness directly.

The third keyword was home-cooked meals. As more people cooked at home, sales of highly versatile ingredients like bean sprouts (212%) and radish (129%) also increased. Egg sales in large quantities rose as well, as eggs are widely used in fried rice, side dishes, and snacks. Unlike last year, when 10-egg packs sold well, 20-egg packs became popular this year. With the growing demand for healthy meals, avocado surpassed milk, which was last year’s top seller, to take first place in sales. Sales of side dishes, ready-to-eat home meals, and restaurant-style ready meals that can be easily enjoyed at home also increased by 126%. In particular, many purchased products that can be easily cooked and contain recipes directly from popular restaurants.