"Supplements for 5,000 Won?"... Daiso, Known for Beauty Products, Eyes Health Functional Foods

From Lutein and Omega-3 to Vitamin D
Daiso to Launch Full-Scale Sales of Health Functional Foods at 200 Stores Starting on the 24th

Daiso store. Photo by Yonhap News

Daiso, a fixed-price household goods store, will expand its product range by selling supplements and health functional foods (HFF) starting from the 24th.

According to the industry on the 18th, Daiso will begin selling HFF such as supplements starting with 200 stores. Representative products include lutein, omega-3, and vitamin D. Although pharmaceutical companies like Daewoong Pharmaceutical have entered Daiso to sell quasi-drugs, this is the first time Daiso is selling HFF. The price range is expected to be between 500 and 5,000 won, the same as other products sold at Daiso.

Daiso is aggressively increasing its product categories. Beyond household goods, it is also selling in beauty, clothing, and processed food categories. This aligns well with the economic downturn, attracting consumers. Daiso is a fixed-price shop selling all products at six price points: 500 won, 1,000 won, 1,500 won, 2,000 won, 3,000 won, and 5,000 won, creating the perception that it is "a place where you can buy all products in the world at ultra-low prices."

Earlier, Daiso conducted a limited-time test sale of supplements at its directly managed Maebong Station store on the 14th. During the test sale, products such as Lactofit from Chong Kun Dang Health and Milk Thistle from Daewoong Pharmaceutical were sold. The company stated, "If there are no particular issues with the products sold during the test, they are expected to be officially sold."

Daiso's handling of HFF is interpreted as a plan to increase sales scale. According to the Korea Health Functional Food Association, the domestic health functional food market size recorded 6.044 trillion won last year. This is a 16.8% increase compared to 2021, four years ago. Also, according to a survey conducted by the Health Functional Food Association with a professional research institute targeting 6,700 households nationwide, the purchase experience rate of HFF recorded 82.1% last year, a slight increase from the previous year. This means that more than 8 out of 10 households have experience purchasing HFF at least once.

Competition with Olive Young, which emphasizes 'Health & Beauty,' is also expected to expand. Olive Young is currently aiming to be a health & beauty lifestyle platform while increasing items such as HFF. Following beauty, the front line with Daiso is expanding to HFF as well. Both companies are estimated to have surpassed 4 trillion won in sales last year.