Rising Prices Highlight Clear 'Average Missing' Phenomenon in Online Shopping

Gmarket Analyzes One Week of Big Smile Day Transactions
Both Flex and Jarinkobi Consumer Types Show Increasing Trends

During the year-end shopping season, a clear phenomenon of so-called 'average disappearance' has emerged, with consumption concentrated on both affordable cost-effective products and premium high-priced items.

Gmarket's mid-term aggregation of popular products during the 'Big Smile Day' revealed a 'shopping average missing' trend where flex spending and frugal spending coexist.
[Photo by Gmarket]

Gmarket announced on the 15th that, after the opening of 'Big Smile Day,' the transaction amount over one week (November 6?12) increased by 68% for high-priced product categories such as electronics and luxury goods, and by 15% for mid- to low-priced product categories such as e-coupons and daily necessities, compared to the same period last year. Gmarket analyzed that amid high inflation, social polarization and diversification of tastes, known as N-polarization, are intensifying, resulting in the coexistence of frugal-type consumption and flex-type consumption.

Among high-priced product categories, the total transaction amount for home appliances increased by 73%. Specifically, personal care appliances grew by 121%, seasonal appliances by 56%, kitchen appliances by 50%, and video appliances by 24%. Additionally, monitors (136%) and audio devices (72%) saw significant growth, and due to the endemic effect, travel and airline tickets nearly doubled in sales. The average purchase amount per customer for related product categories such as electronics, luxury goods, and travel increased by 18% compared to last year.

Among affordable frugal-type products, e-coupon transaction amounts increased by 14%. Stationery (16%), body/hair care (14%), daily necessities (13%), coffee and beverages (11%), and processed foods (6%) all showed growth. In detailed items, stockpiling products such as canned goods (30%), detergents (14%), and wet wipes (20%) sold rapidly, and due to recent bedbug-related issues, insecticides (130%) also saw a significant increase in sales.

A Gmarket official explained, "As high inflation continues, frugal-type consumption has become the mainstream, but conversely, the number of big-spending customers opening their wallets for high-priced products such as 'Tangjinjam' and 'Flex' is also increasing, continuing the polarization of consumption."