Oranges Sold More Than Apples... Seolbapsang, Imported Foods Dominate

Gmarket, Lunar New Year Purchase Trend Analysis
Imported Meat More Popular Than Domestic

Ahead of this month's Seollal holiday, sales of imported and substitute foods such as oranges and Hallabong have increased up to sixfold. In the case of Hallabong and Cheonhyehyang, they sold more than apples, whose prices surged due to poor harvests last year.

According to an analysis by the online shopping mall Gmarket on the 1st comparing food sales about ten days before Seollal with the same period last year, orange sales increased by 556%, showing the highest demand growth among fruits. Hallabong and Cheonhyehyang sales rose by 28%, surpassing apple sales. Additionally, substitute fruits such as strawberries (130%), bananas (67%), kiwis (15%), and grapes/Shine Muscat (9%) generally saw increased sales. Traditional holiday fruits like apples and pears increased by 23% and 2%, respectively.

Sales of imported meat also increased. For pork, imported pork sales rose by 167%, while domestic pork sales increased by only 20%. However, beef still shows a strong preference for Korean beef (Hanwoo), with Hanwoo sales up 45% and imported beef up 23%. Seasoned meats saw sales increases across the board: beef (69%), pork (20%), and chicken (13%).

Examining Seollal-related items by average purchase price per customer, there was an overall increase of about 10%. This means that if customers spent 100,000 won preparing for last year's Seollal, they spent 110,000 won this year. This is interpreted as a slight rise in purchase prices due to high inflation. By item, the average purchase price of traditional holiday fruits such as apples (39%) and pears (21%) increased, while Hallabong and Cheonhyehyang saw a 4% decrease. For meats, pork purchase prices increased by 11%, while beef decreased by 3%.