Shinhan Card's Consumer Keyword for This Year 'R.E.V.I.V.E'... Interest in Metacognition

Identity-Centered Consumption Trends:
Experience Spending and Self-Diagnosis on the Rise

This year, an analysis has emerged predicting a consumption trend that emphasizes identity exploration and expression rather than simple purchasing behavior. In particular, consumer behavior seeking various experiences and emotional stability through deep self-understanding is expected.

On the 16th, Shinhan Card Big Data Research Institute presented the keyword 'R.E.V.I.V.E' as the consumption trend for 2025 through payment and social data analysis. This acronym stands for 'Festival Core' (Redefine Festivities), 'Self Digging' (Exploring Identity), 'AI Native' (Virtual Companions), 'Integrated Contents Commerce' (Contents Commerce), 'Value of Tenderness' (Tenderness), and 'Environment First' (Climate Economy).

Shinhan Card highlighted the consumption trend of deriving greater satisfaction from experience consumption rather than material consumption, presenting Festival Core (R). It explained that various festivals, including Buddhist fairs, international book fairs, and baseball stadiums, are gaining attention as venues for experiences. In fact, looking at the number of Shinhan Card transactions around nine nationwide stadiums during the three weeks immediately after the professional baseball season opener last year, there was an 18% increase compared to 2019 and a 13% increase compared to 2023.

Following this, Self Digging (E) reflects the trend of deeply understanding and expressing oneself. As analyses to better know oneself in terms of appearance, health, and psychology become popular, self-diagnosis methods such as genetic testing, psychological testing, personal consulting, and reviewing life records have diversified, and fortune-telling methods like Saju and Tarot are also being used as ways to understand oneself. From January to September last year, Shinhan Card spending at offline philosophy and fortune-telling franchise stores increased by 13% compared to the same period the previous year.

AI Native (V) refers to the phenomenon of becoming accustomed to AI and actively utilizing and enjoying AI in the realms of creation and communication. The number of paid uses of creation-specialized generative AI such as Midjourney via Shinhan Card soared by 104% compared to the previous year (based on January to November last year).

The fourth keyword, Integrated Contents Commerce (I), refers to the deep penetration of content influence into consumption. According to Shinhan Card social data analysis, the number of contents including the keyword 'Coupang Item' increased by 389% compared to the previous year from January to October last year, and the number of videos containing 'Ollyeong Item' increased by 45% during the same period. Additionally, interest in fine dining increased due to the success of the Netflix series 'Black and White Chef,' and after the series ended, from October 9 for two weeks last year, Shinhan Card transactions at Michelin restaurants increased by 39.7%. Notably, the usage increase rate among people in their 20s reached 60.5%.

Shinhan Card also defined the phenomenon of seeking emotional stability and finding objects of affection as Value of Tenderness (V). The number of Shinhan Card transactions at 'Wappen Shop,' which sells materials for decorating clothes and bags, increased by 98% compared to the previous year (January to October last year), and transactions at 'Gacha Shop,' where customers randomly draw mini-sized figures or goods, soared by 393% during the same period.

Lastly, Climate Economy (E) was presented as a keyword reflecting that climate change has become a core factor in consumption decisions as it affects daily life. With the seasonal timing of items being reorganized, summer appliances have emerged as popular Chuseok gifts, and electricity bills have noticeably increased due to heatwaves. From June to October last year, the average monthly electricity bill paid by Shinhan Card users was 97,000 KRW, a 6.6% increase compared to 91,000 KRW during the same period the previous year.