"Hotel Charyesang and Holiday Lunchboxes: Lunar New Year Scenes Through the Distribution Market"

"Enjoy Favorite Foods and Rest Separately During the Holiday"
Grilled Hanwoo Gifts Popular, Nutritional Meals for Pets Also Appear
Simplified Ancestral Rites, Hotel Ancestral Table Repeat Customers Increase
Single-Person Household Holiday Lunchboxes, Convenience Store Holiday Sales Rank 1st

26.48 million people. This is the estimate by the Korea Transport Institute that more than half of the entire population will be on the move during this Lunar New Year holiday. The 'great national migration' has always occurred, but when looking closely, the patterns have changed significantly. Instead of visiting hometowns and preparing traditional ancestral ritual tables with homemade dishes for several days, many more people now share their favorite everyday foods with family or choose to rest at home during the busy holiday. This year marks the first Lunar New Year since the lifting of social distancing measures due to COVID-19, but with soaring dining-out and grocery prices in this high-inflation era, more people are opting for convenient 'holiday meal kits' or 'holiday lunchboxes' that allow them to enjoy the festive mood easily rather than preparing a lavish feast.

InterContinental Chef's Special Ancestral Table (Photo by Parnas Hotel).

Changes have been detected starting from gift sets, which are a barometer of holiday trends. According to the distribution industry on the 19th, at Hyundai Department Store, sales of grilling sets of Hanwoo beef?such as sirloin, tenderloin, and striploin?have increased by nearly 30% compared to last Lunar New Year. This is about twice the growth rate (15.3%) of parts used for braised short ribs and bulgogi. This indicates a significant rise in demand for products that can be easily grilled by family members without special cooking processes.

Hanwoo and wine packages that help create a special atmosphere for the day have also sold out their initial 700 sets, with an additional 300 sets produced now nearing sell-out. At Shinsegae Department Store, demand for unique gifts such as flavored teas from Fortnum & Mason and flavored oil sets with distinctive ingredient flavors and package designs is increasing. Gifts specialized for pet health and beauty have also appeared. A department store official said, "We are in an era where preferences are reflected even in Lunar New Year gifts," adding, "Gifts that consider various ways of spending the holiday are popular." These are far from the traditional foods that appear in the typical Lunar New Year scenes.

Even among those who perform ancestral rites, more households are expressing sincerity while simplifying the preparation process. They order complete ancestral ritual tables prepared by hotel or food company professional chefs or purchase assorted jeon (Korean pancakes) freshly baked at large supermarket deli corners to place on the ritual table. The Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas said, "The InterContinental Chef’s special ancestral table, composed of eight top-quality domestic ingredients such as dried yellow corvina, Hanwoo beef, and sea bream, continues to have strong demand this year," adding, "Many customers who try it once experience the quality and make repeat purchases."

Many also chose ‘individual rest’ during the relatively short holiday that includes a weekend. Convenience store chains have strengthened holiday lunchboxes for single-person households. According to convenience store CU, the sales growth rate of lunchboxes during the holiday period (including the day itself, three days total) recorded double digits steadily: 12.6% in 2020, 15.0% in 2021, and 13.4% in 2022 compared to the same period the previous year.

CU introduced holiday lunchboxes such as beef bulgogi rice cake soup sets and real whole meat rice cake soup to allow customers to easily and conveniently enjoy various holiday foods and the festive atmosphere during this period when restaurants are closed and convenience stores replace their role. GS25 has also seen holiday lunchboxes rank first in sales during the holiday period for the past three years and is launching an Osaek Hanjeongsik (five-color Korean traditional meal) lunchbox this year. It includes representative holiday foods such as rice cake dumpling soup, black rice topped with ginkgo nuts, neobiani (marinated grilled beef), omisanjeok (five-flavored grilled skewers), meat patties, and seasoned vegetables.

Among the 26.48 million people traveling nationwide during the Lunar New Year holiday, it is expected that many are not only returning home or going back to their residences but also domestic travelers. Overseas travelers also surged sharply compared to the previous year. During the holiday period, about 15,000 people booked overseas travel packages with Hana Tour and about 13,000 with Modetour. This is 70 to 90 times higher than last year’s Lunar New Year holiday.

An industry official said, "As we passed through COVID-19, the ways of spending the Lunar New Year holiday have become more segmented, and more households have adopted these ways," adding, "With more people spending the holiday in various ways, the industry is also focusing on quick changes to meet these needs."