The Return of Slam Dunk 'Storm'... Beyond Cinemas to the Distribution Market

Hyundai Department Store Opens Popup Store
Basketball Equipment Sales Soar
Comic Books Also Explode in Popularity

Office worker Choi Jin-hyuk (35) visited a movie theater for the first time in a while during the Lunar New Year holiday period to watch The First Slam Dunk. He wanted to see the movie because it reminded him of the cartoons and games he enjoyed as a child. Choi said, "It was interesting how the story was newly unfolded around Song Tae-seop," adding, "I miss the days when I used to play basketball with my friends. When the weather gets warmer, I plan to buy a basketball, basketball shoes, and other gear to exercise."

As Slam Dunk has recently dominated the box office, the distribution industry is also experiencing a brief boom. Offline stores are hosting Slam Dunk pop-up stores, and online malls are seeing a significant increase in sales of basketball equipment and comic books.

According to Hyundai Department Store on the 26th, the Slam Dunk pop-up store is being held at Iconic on the B2 floor of The Hyundai Seoul until the 7th of next month. This event offers over 200 types of goods, including limited edition Slam Dunk figures and uniforms. Accessory startup Smith & Leather is showcasing about 60 products such as phone cases, passport wallets, and keyrings, while premium casual brand Aca White has prepared around 20 clothing and miscellaneous items.

Riding the wave of Slam Dunk's popularity, sales of basketball equipment have also increased. On 11st, from the 4th to the 24th of this month, sales of basketball uniforms rose by 148%, and basketball bags by 14% compared to the previous year. The purchase share by age group was 40s males (27%), 40s females (21%), 30s males (14%), 50s males (10%), and 20s males (5%). Since Slam Dunk is a popular 1990s cartoon, it is analyzed that people who spent their school days during that time are enthusiastic about it. During the same period, Gmarket saw basketball shoe sales increase by 324%, basketball uniforms by 35%, and basketball bags by 16%. Lotte On reported a 20% increase in basketball equipment sales.

The First Slam Dunk poster. [Image source=Naver Movie]

In the comics category, Slam Dunk is showing explosive popularity, ranking among the top sellers. On SSG.com, the complete set ranked first in sales, and on Gmarket, sales of comics containing the basketball keyword increased by 5,340%. On social networking services (SNS), posts tagged with #SlamDunkTheFirst, #SlamDunkCompleteSet, and #SlamDunkFigure are abundant.

According to the Korea Film Council’s integrated ticketing system, The First Slam Dunk attracted 436,891 viewers during the Lunar New Year holiday period from the 21st to the 24th. The cumulative audience surpassed 1,594,213, and looking at the movie reservation ratio, viewers in their 30s and 40s accounted for more than 70%.

A distribution industry official said, "Despite the cold weather, sales of basketball equipment and related goods are increasing thanks to Slam Dunk's popularity," adding, "We expect demand to become more active once the weather warms enough to enjoy outdoor sports."