Reading Trends with Seollal Gifts... This Year's Item Instead of Apples and Pears

Increased Interest in Health and Exercise... Various Related Products
From 23 Million Won Home Training Sets
Diverse Items Including Gordon Ramsay Hanwoo and Famous Region Honey

Models are showcasing a luxury home training equipment gift set worth 23 million KRW at the Galleria Department Store Luxury Hall.
(Photo by Galleria)

Hanwoo beef, dried yellow croaker, apples and pears... The once monotonous Seollal gift sets are becoming more diverse, reflecting recent trends. This year, differentiated products that offer 'healthy living' foods and exercise equipment, as well as luxury groceries and interior accessories for small daily indulgences, stand out.

According to the distribution industry on the 10th, Galleria Department Store's high-end home training equipment worth about 23 million won released as Seollal gift sets this year has been attracting significant interest, with related inquiries continuing at the pop-up store. These products are from the domestic wellness brand Foundy, with exercise equipment such as dumbbells, kettlebells, bells, and rollers handcrafted by leather artisans. A Galleria representative explained, "We introduced these targeting those interested in recent home training and luxury interiors, as the exercise equipment can also be used as interior items," adding, "there are many customers visiting the pop-up store currently operating at the Seoul luxury hall to check out these products and many related inquiries."

Shinsegae Department Store has promoted honey gift sets from famous production areas. The honey gift sets available at all Shinsegae stores, including the main branch and Gangnam branch, include honey from famous mountains nationwide, from well-known domestic mountains to islands such as Ulleungdo and Jeju Island. Representative products include Seoraksan Baekdudaegan Tobong honey, Jeju Island mixed honey, and saffron honey sets. A Shinsegae Department Store official said, "There is great interest from customers looking for gifts that are healthy and uncommon."

Models are introducing famous regional honey gift sets at Shinsegae Department Store (Photo by Shinsegae Department Store).

Gift sets following the 'small luxury' trend, which provides psychological satisfaction as a small indulgence in an era of high prices, have also increased. Ahead of this Seollal, Hyundai Department Store is offering various gift miscellaneous goods such as lighting, wine glasses, and cutlery. Representative products include Artemide Nessino, known as a luxury brand in lighting, the Veloce tasting set from Austrian wine glass brand Riedel, and Wedgwood Festivity coffee cups from the British royal porcelain brand.

Hanwoo beef, a representative holiday gift, is also popular in differentiated products. Lotte Department Store is collaborating with Gordon Ramsay Burger restaurant at the Jamsil branch to open a premium Hanwoo gift pop-up, offering the '1966 Signature no. 9' Hanwoo gift set used in Gordon Ramsay Burger's signature menu, the '1966 Burger.' It consists of four packs of Hanwoo No.9 sirloin with the highest marbling grade. The Gordon Ramsay Premium Special Set, composed of sirloin, tenderloin, sirloin cap, and chuck flap tail, is also introduced. Customers who purchase receive a set of three Gordon Ramsay seasonings and are provided with steak recipes, aiming for differentiation. Hyundai Department Store also applies recipes from famous chefs and restaurants, offering a 'Hanwoo and Chef Kim Hyung-seok's dipping sauce set,' with Chef Kim Hyung-seok, head of Hyundai Green Food's dining business division, participating, and an 'Italian Florence-style T-bone steak set' using recipes from the Italian restaurant Itali.

The hotel industry also emphasizes differentiated products reflecting trends. Shilla Hotel has prominently placed black ginseng and honey products as Seollal gift sets this year. Shilla Hotel's black ginseng products are released in the form of jeonggwa (traditional Korean fruit jelly) and jam. 'Rich Black Ginseng Root' is made by soaking black ginseng in a natural sweetener blend. 'Black Ginseng Jam' is made by grinding black ginseng into honey and oligosaccharides and concentrating it. It can be used in various dishes such as bread and salads. Wang Yujeong, a natural honey blend developed based on 40 years of beekeeping experience by Ahn Sang-gyu from Beolkkul, is also introduced. It is made by adding about ten kinds of herbal medicines, including royal jelly, propolis, pollen, red ginseng, deer antler, and agarwood, to natural honey. Glad Hotel's Seollal gift sets include not only the popular Glad Australian signature lamb set but also new goods such as diffuser & room spray gift sets and car air fresheners.

A distribution industry official said, "Considering the changing Seollal gift trends and diverse customer preferences, holiday gift sets will continue to diversify in the future."