[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] As the COVID-19 pandemic has prolonged, a new term called ‘Corona Blue’ has emerged, reflecting the frustration many feel from spending extended periods at home. Consequently, DIY items that can be made and enjoyed at home, home furnishing products that beautify living spaces, and coffee machines for the ‘home cafe’ crowd have gained popularity.
According to Monami on the 1st, sales of Hobbyful, an online hobby platform company, surged by 42.8% during the social distancing level 2.5 period from August 16 to September 15 compared to the level 2 period from July 16 to August 15. Hobbyful is a compound word of ‘hobby’ and ‘beautiful,’ where consumers register for classes, receive hobby kits containing materials, and watch video lectures directly explained by artists.
Monami is collaborating with Hobbyful to offer an online class where participants can create their own fabric accessories. The class is led by the famous illustrator Maryjin, teaching drawing techniques using Monami Fabric Markers. The total video content is three hours long, designed for easy following by anyone, and can be viewed anytime without time restrictions.
All students receive a ‘materials kit’ delivered to their homes, which includes a 16-color set of Monami Fabric Markers, a fabric pouch, fabric poster, practice paper, and patterns. Monami Fabric Markers can color various fabric textiles and do not require ironing after the ink dries, making them convenient to use.
A Monami marketing representative said, “As leisure time spent at home increases, more consumers are seeking small indoor hobbies to enjoy. With the prolonged COVID-19 situation, sales of hobby items that can be enjoyed alone at home are expected to continue rising.”
G9’s survey of home furnishing product sales from August 7 to September 6 compared to the previous year showed that lighting and interior products increased by 25%, and desks and bookshelves for home offices rose by 58%. As time spent at home increases, more people are transforming their homes into various forms such as home cafes, home offices, home libraries, and home cinemas depending on the situation.
KCC has launched an eco-friendly water-based paint that covers in one coat regardless of material, including metal, wood, and concrete. It enhances convenience so that even ordinary people can easily paint anywhere, allowing simple atmosphere changes in limited spaces like home cafes and home offices.
With the rise of remote work and contactless transactions, consumer interest in coffee machines that allow enjoying coffee tailored to personal tastes at home rather than cafes is also increasing.
The scale of coffee machine imports in Korea was only about $60 million in 2010 but increased more than fivefold to approximately $310 million in 2018. Due to reduced outings amid COVID-19, from August 24 to 30, Gmarket saw espresso machine sales increase by 103% compared to the previous week, and SSG.com reported a 23.5% rise in coffee machine sales in August compared to the previous month.
De’Longhi’s recently released fully automatic coffee machine ‘Primadonna Elite’ features Internet of Things (IoT) functionality that allows easy operation via smartphone. By linking the coffee machine to the app, users can brew coffee remotely.
De’Longhi introduced a Korean language display for the first time, improving the somewhat complicated usage and language barriers of existing fully automatic coffee machines. With just one touch, users can create as many as 17 different menu options.
Even without learning the operation, users can enjoy not only coffee shop beverages like cappuccino and flat white but also various coffees tailored to different tastes. De’Longhi’s unique Latte Crema system extracts rich and smooth milk foam, enabling the creation of diverse milk-based drinks. Up to six user profiles can be registered, allowing easy enjoyment of personalized recipes without complicated procedures.
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